Toku no Hero Academia
by Tokusatsu Universe-KHM
Summary: What if Izuku had a Quirk when he was born and activates it at a young age. Together with his mother's encouragement and All Might giving him One for All as his secondary quirk, he would finally be the hero he had always dreamed of becoming. However Izuku would have to overcome the obstacles and challenges in his path of being the new Symbol of Peace and Justice. [AU, Izuku/Harem!]
1. The Origin

**Me: Hello everybody! My name is Tokusatsu Universe and welcome to... Toku no Hero Academia! Now, this is my first fanfic on My Hero Academia, and after reading good fanfics of it, I have decided to do one myself. I'm doing the common theme of having Izuku be born with a Quirk here, and I will give full details of it here. So now let's begin!**

**Warning: The dialogue is similarly like few other MHA stories here like How Eating a Strange Fruit Gave Me My Quirk, Saiyan of Hope etc, so credit to the authors of those stroies respectively as the source material reference and base frame for this story, however, I have original parts that makes this a more different from those stories, so read at your own risk.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia nor any Tokusatsu franchises featured here.**

**Edit (10/26/2019): This story has acquired a beta reader by the name of Milarqui. Any difference between the old text and the current one can be assigned to me.**

**Chapter 1: Origin**

* * *

"Kacchan, please, stop hurting him..."

So spoke a green-haired boy, standing in front of a child who laid injured on the ground. The boy shook in clear fear of the target of his words and his green eyes showed the same feeling, but still he stood to protect the child from those who were bullying him.

"Y-You shouldn't be using your Quirk to harm others for your own enjoyment!" He shouted vehemently.

"What's this, Deku?" The interlocutor, a boy with ash-blond hair and red eyes, replied as he let out an arrogant laugh and grinned evilly. "I can do whatever I want, and you are below me, so you don't get to tell me what to do."

His hands smoked and started to make small explosion sounds to give more power to his words.

Midoriya Izuku, the green-haired and green-eyed boy, looked on in fear and disbelief towards the blond-haired boy, Bakugo Katsuki. Katsuki and Izuku had once been best friends, but ever since Katsuki manifested his Quirk, he had become little more than an arrogant bully, one that went around looking down on those who had 'weak' Quirks or, worse, no Quirk at all, and he reveled in his attitude.

Izuku had yet to manifest his Quirk, but nonetheless he was not going to stand for that attitude, because he hated it when others abused their power or picked on those that were weaker than them. A fan of Pro Heroes and of their philosophy, he thought that people with Quirks should use them to help others or improve the future.

That was why he chose to defend a helpless kid, even though he was helpless as well: even though he knew he had no chance of beating Katsuki in a straight fight, he would not let anyone else be tormented by him any further, even if it cost him his life (granted, when saying this young Izuku simply imitated what he heard from his heroes, but it was till a commendable attitude).

"You are worthless!" A chubby boy with red wings yelled at him.

"He is Quirkless, but it's still the same thing, either way!" Another boy, this one with a long-stretching left hand, shouted as well.

"That may be true," Izuku replied, shedding tears and clenching his teeth, but still holding his ground in defiance, "but since you are using your own Quirks to bully others... you don't deserve to have them!"

The three boys glared at him, especially Katsuki, who was getting angrier as Izuku kept talking defiantly.

"Guess you need to know your place then, Deku!" He shouted before coming charging at Izuku, followed by the other two boys. Izuku braced himself, knowing that he was in for a beating.

However, as he puts his arms up in defense, he closed his eyes tightly... until he realized his arms were glowing with a light green light, which suddenly shone and formed a big barrier around him and the boy he was protecting. When Katsuki's fist made contact with an explosion, the barrier flared and pushed back, sending the blond flying back into his accomplices.

The boy Izuku was defending looked on in shock, surprise and admiration at him, like when he would do whenever he saw the heroes in action. Katsuki's two goons now laid on the ground, shaking and staring in fear after being tossed away by the Quirk Izuku had just manifested. Katsuki himself looked surprised at the sudden change of fortune.

And Izuku, as he slowly opened his eyes, he looked at the green barrier surrounding him and realized things had finally changed for him.

* * *

_**10 Years Later**_

'_That was __when I was four that __things were starting to look up for me,_' Izuku thought as he ran on the sidewalks of the streets. _'And that was my first and only setback.'_

The reason Izuku was running was ahead of him in Tatooin Station, where a rough, beastly looking man with the head of a horse was rampaging through everything he could find.

_'That's a huge villain, too,'_ Izuku remarked mentally as he watched from the crowd.

The world had changed two centuries ago when a child born in Qing Qing City, China, was born with an unique ability: the ability to glow. Called the Luminescent Baby, they were the first person in the world to have a superhuman ability, but not the last: as time passed, more people all over the world began to demonstrate what was once the matter of fiction, superhuman powers, that would eventually be known as 'Quirks'. As the number of people with a Quirk grew in number, so did those who would use them for evil purposes, but people answered by pursuing heroism as a profession – like those who were now coming in to fight the horse-headed villain.

The villain broke a high voltage tower in their rampage, and a piece fell towards the ground – only to be caught by a very tall, muscular man of wide shoulders, wearing a yellow-and-black-striped caution patterned headband and gauntlets. Izuku quickly identified the man as Death Arms, the Punching Hero.

Another hero, this one looking like a firefighter, arrived on scene and started to spread streams of water around the place in order to prevent the people from getting too close to the fight: this was Backdraft, the Rescue Specialist.

Wanting to see more, Izuku made his way through the crowd of civilians, trying not to bump anyone too hard, as another figure jumped over the crowd, getting a small group of girls to squeal as the figure was identified as Kamui Woods, the Tree Hero: jumping on the train bridge, Kamui started to fight the giant villain with his branch-like arms, slamming them several times against their body.

"Wow, look at him fight," He said as he watched with interest while the Tree Hero showed off several acrobatic feats in the fight. "A rising star to behold."

"You said it, kid! Nicely said, by the way," The man next to him – a man with star-shaped marks on the sides and the top of his head – replied, watching as well. "Come on, Tree-man! Give us a flashy move!"

Almost as if he had heard the man, Kamui suddenly expanded his branch-like appendages and apprehended the villain, to the cheers of everyone.

"**Canyon Cannon!**"

Just as he did so, though, a giant blonde woman came in and kicked the equally large villain into the ground, shocking all the witnesses as the villain fell unconscious.

"Today is the day of my debut! My name is Mt. Lady. A pleasure to make your _ass_-quaintance!" she said, introducing herself while winking and posing sensually, something aided by her voluptuous figure and her purple and pale tan-colored skintight bodysuit with orange stripes. Needless to say, many men and several women gazed and ogled the giant woman's 'assets'.

Not so much with Izuku, though. Sighing in annoyance at the new hero's showboating, he nonetheless brought his notebook – number 14 in his collection of data on heroes – and began to take notes on Mt. Lady's abilities and probable Quirk.

"Hey, kid, you are taking notes? Wanna be a hero, right?" The star-headed man said, noticing him, and Izuku turned to look back. "You look like a smart one, I'm sure you'll be able to do it."

"Yes! I'll do my best! Thank you!" Izuku replied with a smile.

* * *

_**Aldera Junior High, later that day**_

"Listen up, everyone! It is the right time for all of you to think about your future," The teacher said, holding up a stack of papers while smiling. "Now, I want all of you to turn in your career documents... but I think all of you have the ambition of becoming heroes, right?"

The entire class cheered as they began to show off their Quirks. Izuku, who had been sitting behind his desk, writing on his notebook, just raised his yellow-green colored energy coated hand.

Izuku had changed much from the nervous kid he was ten years before. While still a polite and nice boy, he was much more confident in himself without slipping into undue arrogance or cockiness, and was willing to help anyone who needed his aid: being the top student in his middle school and having a fairly powerful Quirk of his own allowed him to maintain that confidence.

"I can see your excitement very clearly. All of you have good Quirks, but remember, you cannot use them in public until you get your Hero License," The teacher kindly reminded them.

One particular person snorted. Izuku rolled his eyes, knowing who it was.

"Sensei! I don't believe for a second that I'm in the same class as these extras here!" Bakugo Katsuki stated. Even though he was not looking at him, Izuku knew that he had his feet propped up on his desk and was having that smug, snake-like smile of his. "I don't want to be seen in the same level as those with weak Quirks!"

Izuku ignored him, still writing in his notebook. Even after ten years, Katsuki was still an arrogant, rude, aggressive and generally unpleasant person that still looked down on anyone he did not consider strong. Izuku was sick of him and his attitude, and for the most part ignored him: while he did not hate him, he did not like him either, not after how he had turned on him when they were kids.

_'He never changes,'_ Izuku thought, while everyone else in the classroom glared at Katsuki for his comment.

"What's the big idea, Bakugo?"

"Shut up, fodders!"

"Ah, yes, Bakugo-kun," The teacher said, perking up. "I heard you are going to apply for U.A. High School, right?"

Izuku stopped writing, now turning his attention to his former friend as he acted even smugger.

"Yeah, the best high school for Heroes!" One of the others whispered. "I've heard that it takes an average of 80 or more just to be able to apply this year!"

"Not to mention that the entrance examination is the most difficult, too!"

Everyone's mood dropped at the mention of the school: instead of glaring, a few of them were looking down in sadness, while the others were a tad fearful of the situation. Katsuki smirked at the display.

"I'm not that surprised that all of you cower at the mention of U.A. I will ace the entrance exam!" The blond stood up and jumped on his desk. "I will surpass All Might and become the greatest hero the world has ever known! My name will be inscribed on the list of best heroes in history!"

Izuku just ignored him and his big talk before going back to writing in his journal, minding his own business as usual.

"Well, I believe Midoriya-kun intends to apply for U.A. High School as well, if I am not mistaken," The teacher pointed out. Everyone turned their eyes to Izuku, who had looked up after hearing his name being mentioned, and most of them nodded in agreement.

"Huh? Midoriya? Most definitely!"

"If there's anyone that can get easily into U.A. its him!"

Unlike Katsuki, Izuku had earned the respect and admiration of the others in the class, thanks to his willingness to help those who asked him, as well as encouraging them to keep pushing forward to become better at what they did. Naturally, this was not liked by a certain someone.

"HEY, DEKU!" Katsuki bellowed before charging at Izuku's desk. Izuku knew that he intended to use his explosive sweat to blow him up, but he already knew how to deal with him: he kicked his desk forward. Katsuki tripped over the sudden obstacle while Izuku side stepped to his right before grabbing and firmly gripping Katsuki's wrist, holding him in place. Katsuki's expression changed to discomfort as he felt his strength wear out.

"We aren't allowed to use our Quirks here, Bakugo," Izuku said while glaring at him, pushing him forward and away from him. Katsuki grabbed his wrist and gritted his teeth as he felt his strength coming back.

Ever since Izuku had manifested his Quirk, he had received more praise than Katsuki, and more people clearly preferred the former over the latter, as Izuku was much more approachable than Katsuki. This only fueled Katsuki's own anger, hatred and jealousy for his former friend, and ever since he had tried his best to become better than Izuku, often to no avail.

"You think you can insult me by believing to be in the same league as me?" The explosive boy yelled. Izuku just sighed and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Me applying for U.A. is none of your concern. Whether you feel insulted by me is none of my concern, either."

Izuku could see Katsuki was getting angrier, at least judging by the vein growing in his forehead and his hands starting to emit smoke again.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean, huh?"

"That you shouldn't try to intimidate others just because you fear they might become better than you. You are so blinded by your pride and ego that you hate the idea that someone may have a more powerful Quirk than you," Izuku replied, showing no sign of nervousness as he emphasized the last word. Katsuki growled angrily at the statement.

"What did you say, you fucking nerd?"

Before Izuku could reply, a bell rang signaling the end of class, so Izuku just packed up his things, noticing that all the other students were now hugging the walls while the teacher hid behind his desk: obviously, they had expected a fight to break out. Izuku shrugged and walked towards the door.

"Nothing. Just... mind your own business," He replied before opening the door, not even bothering to look back as Katsuki loudly raged.

He only noted that his path to becoming the Symbol of Peace had just got a tad harder and more interesting, particularly when he enrolled for U.A.

* * *

_**Somewhere in the shopping district**_

"Somebody stop that thief!" Someone yelled as a pile of gooey slime with egg-like eyes and sharp teeth slinked away, carrying several stolen goods in its body under everyone's eyesight.

"You can't catch me!" The slime-like thief laughed, his voice as gross as his appearance.

"Someone is coming to help us, right?"

"There is no end to this kind of people!"

"**No need to fear! There is indeed an end to them BECAUSE I AM HERE!**" A loud, heroic voice yelled: everyone turned to the voice, and their eyes widened in surprise.

"Look there!"

"No way!"

"Is that...?"

* * *

The last class for the day had ended, and everyone was now heading off to their homes or to do whatever they wanted, with Izuku being the last to leave, packing up as he went over his plans for the afternoon.

_'The entrance exams are ten months away now. I could do more training with Superpower and refine my martial arts. I can catch up on Kamen Rider Gaim after that,'_ he thought as he put his notebook in the backpack, but just as he was leaving the building his thoughts were interrupted.

"We're not done talking, Deku," Katsuki said with clear rage, walking up to him while flanked by his two cronies – the same that had been with him ten years ago, when Izuku discovered his Quirk. "I've got a bone to pick with you. I am going to be the only student from this mediocre junior middle school to make it to U.A., and I'm a perfectionist, so don't you dare apply for U.A., nerd."

Izuku just looked at him, completely uninterested at the usual threat.

"Sorry, no can do. Plus, I don't have time for you. See you tomorrow!"

Izuku immediately sped away, leaving a dust trail behind him before Katsuki could get to him, causing the blond boy to flip out.

When he felt he was far away from him, Izuku slowed down and began to walk at a normal pace. As he looked up at the sky, he thought of how much things had changed between the two of them since the 'incident'...

* * *

_Izuku_ had been a Tokusatsu fanboy since he was three. Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, Giant Robo, Kamen Rider, Metal Hero, Super Sentai... he loved them all, enough to collect as much merchandise as he could find of them. But, if there was something he loved more, it was a particular Pro Hero. The one who always fought against his Godzilla figure whenever Izuku played with his toys. A hero called **All Might**.

He was the first Hero he learned about. He still remembered watching a video his mother had shown him, seeing how All Might rescued all the people that had been trapped in a collapsed building, always smiling, and that had excited Izuku to no end: he had then made it his objective to be like All Might and make everyone smile when he developed his Quirk.

And when the 'incident' happened, when Izuku discovered his Quirk as he defended a kid from being bullied by Katsuki, his mother had brought him to the doctor that had once stated he was Quirkless.

"It seems I made a mistake in stating you did not have a Quirk, Midoriya-kun. It did manifest later than usual, and I can see why," The doctor said as he stared in amazement at Izuku, who was using his Quirk to cover his right hand with a dark green glow.

Izuku's mother, Inko, was also staring in awe at her son. After the initial diagnostic, she had felt crushed at seeing her son's dream of becoming a hero vanish into thin air, but now she knew it was possible for him to achieve it.

"Why did it take longer to manifest than normal, doctor?" She asked in a serious tone as Izuku waved away his energy.

"What kind of Quirk do you have, madam?" The doctor asked, tapping his chin. Inko took a deep breath and wiggled both her hands. The two figurines that were resting on the nearby chair came floating towards her hands.

"I can manipulate small objects that are close enough to me, and my husband can breathe fire," She explained. The doctor nodded and motioned towards the X-Ray showing Izuku's left foot.

"Most Quirks appear at the age of four, but your son has shown it later than the usual. As you know, Quirks manifest when a person's pinky toe has one joint. In the previous X-Ray, your son did not have this, but now he does. Whether the joint appeared because he found his Quirk or whether he manifested because his pinky developed a joint, I cannot tell."

Inko turned to her son.

"Izuku... how did you manifest your Quirk?"

Izuku looked down and sighed.

"I... I was helping a Quirkless kid Kacchan and two other kids were bullying, and he decided to beat me. I put my arms up to defend myself, but then my arms glowed light green and there was a wall around me, and when Kacchan tried to hit me the wall pushed him and the others away from me."

Inko gasped and covered her mouth, while the doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Allow me a moment. You mentioned your Quirk glowed light green, but a moment ago it was a dark green. Hmm..."

"What is it?" Izuku asked.

"I am not an expert, but it is possible that your Quirk may actually have different aspects, with each aspect having a particular ability. That's something very abnormal... it seems you have a one-of-a-kind Quirk, Midoriya-kun. One-of-a-kind Quirk for a hero."

Izuku smiled at his words.

Later that night, Izuku was watching his favorite All Might video on the computer when Inko entered the room. Izuku did not turn, but he knew she was there.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were being bullied, Izuku?" Inko asked with a stern, yet worried tone. Izuku had not mentioned it, but she knew how to read between lines and had realized the truth. The seriousness behind her tone told Izuku that he should not lie to her, especially now that he had a Quirk and could be a hero.

"I... I didn't want to worry you or get Kacchan in trouble," He replied, looking down. In spite of everything Katsuki had done after getting his Quirk, Izuku still cherished his memories of him.

Sensing the sadness in her son, Inko slowly walked up to him and turned the chair to make him face her.

"Being courageous enough to stand up to those who are suppose to be your friends is a very admirable thing... but you need to let Bakugo-kun know that his attitude and actions will have very dire consequences for him, so he learns that what he is doing is wrong."

Looking up to her, Izuku saw the serious yet sincere look in her eyes, knowing that she was right and he should not doubt her. Inko resolved to have a very long talk with Mitsuki about the incident, and decided to change the subject.

"Now that the doctor has confirmed you have a Quirk... are you happy that you can gain your dream?" She asked, smiling.

"Mom... is my Quirk powerful enough... can I really... be a hero too?"

"Yes. Yes, you can be a hero, Izuku. You have what it takes to be the one that defends anybody in danger, even if it's someone like Bakugo. Never doubt yourself and keep your head up with confidence, to show the world that you are the true hero it deserves." She still remembered a similar conversation a few months ago, when she had a different answer for him. This time, though, she smiles and grips her son's shoulder with confidence. Izuku answers with a smile of his own, even with the tears in his eyes.

"Right! I'll be the hero dedicated to peace and justice! I will achieve that no matter what!"

"That's the spirit, Izuku!" Inko said as she hugged her son.

With this maternal encouragement and support, Izuku found the confidence and courage to become a hero that would change the world for a better future to _come..._

* * *

Izuku, after wondering what to call it, had decided to name his Quirk 'Superpower', because it was like one in the old comics he had read. During the next ten years, he trained to get used to Superpower in order to learn how to properly use his Quirk's three aspects, which he had named Attack, Block and Help, each of which had its own particular color and what they all did. He also supplemented his Quirk with training in martial arts, which he took to like a fish to water in order to not become overreliant in his Quirk.

In the meantime, his mother had undergone a change of sorts, and had decided to divorce her husband, because, after years of barely seeing her husband Hisashi at home, she had grown tired of him getting jobs abroad. The feeling had become mutual on both sides, so Inko was not sad nor bitter about him being gone for good, and neither was Izuku, who barely remembered his dad being at home either.

Now, though, as he passed through a tunnel, he clenched his hand.

_'Just you wait, Bakugo. I'll be getting into U.A., and there's no way you will stop me.'_

His thoughts were interrupted, though, when a sewer lid moved out of the way. The hideous stench caught Izuku's attention, making his eyes water as he looked for the source – and then he found it, a green sludge coming out of the sewer that had a pair of yellow eyes and incredibly sharp teeth.

"Looks like I managed to slip past him," The sludge said with a disgusting tone. Izuku tried to slip away, but the sludge saw him and the toothy smile grinned maliciously. "Oh, look, a very lovely body for me to wear!"

The thing immediately threw its tentacles at Izuku, trying to grab him. However, Izuku quickly dodged the first limb before activating Block, bringing up a light green barrier that shielded him from the other tentacles being thrown at him.

_'This must be the thief I read about from the news!'_ Izuku thought as he analyzed the villain. _'I can't just keep defending, sooner or later I will run out of energy, so I need to strike back. I may be able to hold him up as much as possible while a Pro Hero arrives and deals with him. But, for how long will I be able to do it?'_

The villain was showing clear frustration at being unable to get through the barrier: he really did not like when his victims fought back.

"Oh, come on, kid! I promise you it's not going to hurt a lot. Just a little! So let me take your body!"

That was when Izuku decided to change how to fight. The barrier flashed brightly, temporarily blinding the sludge villain before he was knocked back by a dark green energy wave. With the villain caught off guard, Izuku vanished the barrier and pulled the dark green energy over his arms, getting ready for another attack.

"**I AM HERE!**"

The sewer lid the sludge villain had escaped through went away flying, and the owner of the heroic voice that had just sounded out jumped into the scene. Izuku looked and saw a very large man with muscular and well-defined physique, with short, swept back blond hair that had two distinct tufts sticking up above his head.

"All Might?" Izuku whispered. He couldn't believe he was seeing his favorite Pro Hero in action, and he put up his clenched hands with excitement.

"You!" The sludge villain exclaimed with obvious hatred, as he shifted his attention to the hero. Immediately, he began to attack him, with more ferocity than he had against Izuku, and he threw more tentacles with more power into the fight. However, All Might easily dodged all the tentacles and charged at the sludge while cocking his fist back.

"**Texas...**"

Izuku, knowing what was coming, quickly produced an energy barrier to protect himself from what was going to happen.

"**SMASH!**"

All Might's fist shot forward, so fast that it generated a huge wind pressure that impacted into the sludge villain, splattering him around the tunnel. While Izuku dealt with the shock of his favorite Hero saving him, All Might picked an empty bottle and gathered the remains of the sludge, putting all of it – eyes and mouth included – into the bottle.

"**Are you alright there, young man?**"

Realizing that All Might was talking to him, Izuku dispersed the barrier and looked up to see the grin his idol was known for.

"Uh, yeah! I'm perfectly OK, All Might. You arrived just in time, like you always do!" Izuku said, admiration obvious in his voice. All Might laughed loudly, causing Izuku's grin to widen in excitement.

"**Well, I am glad to hear that, young man. I'm sorry that I didn't arrive sooner, but thanks to you, I captured the villain I was persecuting!**" All Might replied, making a pose and grinning as his teeth sparkled under the sunlight.

'_Oh, man, he is so much cooler in person!_' Izuku thought as his inner fanboy took over, so much that he probably had stars in his eyes. Still smiling, All Might put the bottle in his cargo pants pocket.

"**I must take this thief to the authorities now. That Quirk of yours is really something special. Keep practicing with it, and I am sure you will become a great hero one day!**"

Izuku's eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You really mean it?"

"**But, of course!**" All Might laughed, proud.

"Wait, before you leave... could you sign my notebook?" Izuku asked as he pulled out Notebook #1 and opened it on the pages he had left empty precisely for the chance he might meet him. All Might happily agreed to do so and wrote his signature across the two pages before giving the notebook back to Izuku.

"**I am glad you are fine. Farewell, for now!**" All Might then bent his knees and launched himself into the air as Izuku watched him in wonder.

Unbenknownst to All Might, he had failed to firmly secure the bottle that contained the sludge, and as he jumped the bottle flew out of his pocket into a rooftop, where it broke.

Meanwhile, Izuku felt that the smile on his face would never vanish, as if today had suddenly become the best day of his life.

_'Not only did I meet All Might, but he said I could become a great hero! And I got his autograph! Today I am just going to go watch Kamen Rider Gaim!'_

Izuku started to run with excitement, using his Quirk to boost his speed as he made his way back home.

* * *

"Motherfucking Deku! Such a pathetic coward running off! Next time I see him, I'll be sure to give it to him!" Katsuki snarled as he finished drinking his soda, before crushing the can and tossing it away in anger.

"Calm down, Katsuki. Aren't you... overreacting a bit here?" One of his cronies asked while smoking a cigarette.

"Yeah, I don't think you should be picking fights with Midoriya, he's got a powerful Quirk," The other crony replied, extending his fingers to get another cigarette for himself. Katsuki glared at him.

"Shut up! That shithead's Quirk is not anywhere close to mine in power, you got that!" He bellowed before kicking several bottles away in a fit of anger. The other two guys kept exhaling some smoke, but Katsuki, now getting sick of talking about someone he considered 'inferior' to him, decided to focus on something else. "Will you two morons stop smoking around me!"

"What is that?"

"Katsuki, behind you!"

Katsuki turned around, but it was too late, and he barely had a second to see a mass of filthy sludge falling on him.

"Oh, good, a body with a powerful Quirk!" The sludge villain said, giving out an evil laugh.

* * *

A few blocks away, Yagi Toshinori, better known as All Might, was leaning against the railings to recover for a few minutes. Skinny, with sharp, angular features and long limbs, long neck and absent eyebrows, he was a great difference with his heroic persona.

_'I have been thinking about finding my successor, and it's distracting me so much that a third rate villain was able to slip by me. Still... I'm running out of time,'_ Toshinori thought.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a loud explosion in the distance. Instinctively, he tapped his pockets, and realized something was missing.

The bottle that contained the sludge villain he had captured earlier must have fallen while he jumped away.

"Oh, god, no..."

* * *

Izuku was getting closer to home, walking instead of running as he happily hummed, when an explosion shook the air. Knowing it had to be something serious, Izuku started to look around for the source of the explosion, only to hear more of them in the following seconds, so he began to follow the sounds, running until he found a large crowd of people watching the scene.

Looking on, Izuku was surprised to see the sludge villain he had fought earlier. Clearly, he had somehow escaped from All Might, and now it was once more rampaging around. To his shock, a group of heroes were standing aside, focusing only on keeping the crowd away and restoring damage rather than trying to stop the villain.

"Why aren't they fighting?" Izuku asked one of the people watching the fight.

"The villain took a schoolboy hostage, and he is using his Quirk to cause the destruction here. The Heroes aren't acting because they don't want to harm the kid," Someone explained with a worried tone.

Looking back at the sludge villain, Izuku was shocked to see that it had taken none other than Katsuki. Even more, he could see Katsuki's eyes were full of despair and pain as he soundlessly pleaded anybody to help him. Looking at the Heroes again, he wondered why they were not sweeping in. Death Arms was lifting a heavy piece of rubble to help several trapped civilians, and Kamui Woods probably feared getting close to the explosions due to his wooden body, but neither Backdraft nor Mt. Lady were doing anything other than watching.

That was when Izuku decided to do the unthinkable and ran towards the sludge villain, dodging the people trying to hold him back.

Nearby, Toshinori had just arrived to the scene, still in his normal form, and was horrified to see the damage caused by the sludge villain, who this time had succeeded in claiming a victim. That was when he saw the kid from earlier running towards the threat, ignoring the calls from the crowd and the heroes to stop.

"Bakugo!" Izuku shouted as he dodged the flames and debris littered around without slowing down for a second. Katsuki's eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Izuku, of all people, running towards him with a worried look. Unfortunately, this also caught the attention of the sludge villain, who clearly recognized him from earlier, and he began to turn one of his tentacles into a glowing fist.

Izuku did not care, though, and as he ran closer he called his dark green energy to his hand, creating a sword arm to the surprise of those who were witnessing the boy's bravery, and then jumping into the air while the sword glowed.

"I'm not gonna let you hurt him any further!" Izuku yelled in defiance, slashing the air to fire a sword beam. The sludge tried to intercept the beam with the glowing tentacle, but it was too fast for him and hit him straight at where his eyes and mouth were, causing him to close his eyes and yell in pain.

A second slice with the sword opened it by its midsection, allowing Katsuki to grab a much needed breath while Izuku grabbed him by his clothes, but as he did that Katsuki glared at him.

"Why the fuck are you doing this, Deku?" Katsuki snarled, although his coughs made it sound less threatening than normal.

"Just shut up for a second, Bakugo!" Izuku fired back, using his yellow green energy to weaken the sludge's grip on Katsuki before shooting dark energy through his legs, launching himself and Katsuki backwards, and incidentally further injuring the sludge villain from the blast. A light green barrier cushioned the two teenagers' impact against the ground.

"Deku," Katsuki growled again as he was now on the ground, between coughs trying to get his feeling back to his lungs after nearly asphyxiating. Now that his former friend was safe, though, Izuku focused his attention on the sludge villain, who, after recovering from the multiple attacks he had thrown at him, was now charging at Izuku.

"As much as I can't stand you, Bakugo, I still plan to be a hero," Izuku said as he gathered dark green energy in his arms, which began to glow once more. "It is a hero's job to guard those who cannot defend themselves, and I could tell you were in need of help."

With that, Izuku began to walk fearlessly towards the charging villain, readying his attack. Unbeknownst to him, Toshinori, after being shocked by his brazen walk, started to smile as the boy proved his heroism, first by saving the hostage and now by ensuring the villain would be stopped.

Izuku suddenly stopped and crossed his arms, forming a plus sign.

"**Ultraman Beam!**"

All the energy concentrated in Izuku's arms fired at the villain, forming a beam so bright that everyone else was forced to cover their eyes to avoid getting blinded. When they managed to recover their sight, they found the villain unconscious, most of its sludge disintegrated with no trace left in the ground, while Izuku still stood on the spot he had fired the beam from.

The civillian crowd began to cheer for Izuku, who remained in place while breathing at the effort, and Toshinori smiled again, realizing that he had the answer to his problem right there.

_'I should have realized it earlier. He is the one...'_ Toshinori thought, amazed.

* * *

As the unconscious villain was finally apprehended and taken away while Katsuki was checked up by the paramedics that had come when the warning about a villain attack came, Izuku was now facing a new challenge.

"Hey, kid. We'd like to have a word with you," Backdraft said, the other heroes following the Rescue Specialist.

Not geeking out at the sight of four Heroes talking to him unlike All Might.

"All of you?" He asked, feeling a bit on edge in spite of them being... well, heroes.

"Yes. Look, I understand wanting to help people, but what you just did was incredibly dangerous, young man. You could have gotten hurt, or worse, you understand?" Backdraft continued.

"I do know that it was dangerous. I won't deny that it was very reckless of me, and for that I apologize," Izuku replied, bowing.

"Hmph, you should've just left this to us heroes in the first place, kid," Mt. Lady barked out. Izuku's previous elation turned into irritation.

"Excuse me?" He asked, offended.

"You heard me, kid. Should've just let us deal with it."

Izuku snorted.

"To you heroes. Yeah, right, I get it. What I did was rash and dumb, but at least I did something, because, let me remind you, Mt. Lady, that while I risked my life helping Bakugo, you did absolutely NOTHING," He fired back with disdain, making the debutante step back in surprise. But Izuku was not done with her.

"And you want to know the worse part? You were probably the one that could have done the most. You could have gone out and brought backup, or you could have helped put down the fires, or even punched the sludge guy and grabbed Bakugo. I saw you this morning when you stole Kamui Woods' thunder at the station, and to be honest you didn't leave a good impression to me. Maybe, before telling me off for trying to help someone else, you should remember that a hero's work isn't all about fame and glory, but about helping people." Mt. Lady cringed, acknowledging that Izuku was right.

"And you, Backdraft, you could have helped several times, and don't tell me you were busy putting out the fires, because I saw you gawking at me doing something for way too long! You could have actually put out the fires, or helped Kamui Woods get closer, or diluted the sludge. Being patient is good and all in the right situation, but doing nothing sometimes does more harm than good."

"True enough. I apologize," Backdraft replied with a nod.

"And, as for you two..." Izuku said, looking at Death Arms and Kamui Woods, the former apparently pissed off. "Well, Death Arms was busy saving the civilians, and Kamui gets a pass because of the fire, but next time maybe you could do something rather than hope a miracle solution happens?"

The two heroes nodded, and Death Arms' expression softened.

"I guess you are right, kid. But, still, don't do that again until you get your license. You are lucky the police is willing to let this one slide."

Izuku nodded and left the four heroes to their work, with them now intrigued by the boy. All Might saw his chance and sped off away.

* * *

The sun was now setting, and Izuku was finally getting home, a little exhausted after using what he considered his super-move, as well as processing all the events that had taken place earlier.

"Hey, Deku!" Izuku did not even turn, knowing who it was that had interrupted his thoughts. "Don't think for a second that I owe you anything! I never asked to be saved and you never helped me, got it? I was fine by myself, and my Quirk is still stronger than your's, so don't you dare look down at me, you damn nobody nerd!"

"You're welcome!" Izuku replied sarcastically as soon as Katsuki was done yelling, and soon he heard him running in another direction.

_'Seriously, I can't believe that, even after I saved him, he is still an ungrateful ass!'_ He thought, thankful that at least he would not have to deal with him and his idiocy any more for the day.

"**I AM HERE!**"

Startled out of his introspection, Izuku watched as All Might suddenly landed right next to him.

"A-All Might! What are you doing here?"

"**I wanted to speak with you, young man,**" The hero replied, looking down at the surprised expression on Izuku's face.

"What?" Izuku's eyes widened so much that All Might thought they might actually pop out of their sockets. "You want to speak with me?"

_'Not only do I get to speak with All Might, he actually wants to speak with me!'_

"**Of course! When I noticed the sludge villain had escaped its bounds, I sought him and was too late to stop him... but when I found him it was to see you going against him, all to save that boy, even though there is bad blood between you two.**" Izuku nodded quickly, smiling at his hero."**You did it without hesitation, because it was the right thing to do, even when the other heroes couldn't do anything. I can even tell that you just started to run as soon as you realized someone needed your help.**"

"I just couldn't stand there and watch someone get hurt, even if it was someone I disliked, and I would do it again, no matter how dangerous it is," Izuku replied.

"**And that, I believe, is the huge difference that demonstrates having the true ideal mindset of a Hero! That is why I believe you are worthy of inheriting my Quirk and becoming the next Symbol of Peace. You, young man, will, if you want, become the next torchbearer of One for All!**" All Might declared.

"What?" Izuku asked in shock, not knowing that that declaration would forever change both his life and the world...

* * *

**Me: Well that wraps things up for the first chapter. By the way I'm not bashing anyone not even Bakugo. As you may know I will be playing music from mainly other Tokusatsu franchises in addition to the MHA OST.**

**Izuku witnesses hero action! Izuku doesn't take crap from Bakugo! Izuku chews out on the pro heroes incompetence! All Might chooses Izuku as his successor!**

**Milarqui: Marking where the music playing begins and ends breaks the story. The suggested soundtrack for the fight between Izuku and the Sludge Villain is _Kazama's Sacrifice_ from _Godzilla Final Wars_.**

**-Superpower-**

**_Type_: Emitter.**

**_Range_: Close and Long Range.**

**_Description_: Superpower enables Izuku to project three different types of energy with special properties.**

**\- Dark Green: Attack. This allows Izuku to project and construct destructive energy from anywhere on his own body, usually his hands or feet, in the form of melee ****constructs ****or ranged projectiles with the latter having different attack types****. ****T****he damage output from the attacks depends on Izuku's will.**

**\- Light Green: Block. This allows Izuku to project energy that can ****form barriers, walls and shields to nullify any attacks thrown. Form an energy armor layer around him that decreases any damage he takes by ****half for 3 minutes. It**** can also reflect attacks back at the attacker.**

**\- Yellow Green: Help. This allows Izuku to project energy that can augment or heal either himself or others, as well as temporarily reduce someone, by reducing their strength, defense, speed, etcetera and even quirks as well. **

**_Weaknesses_: Izuku's ability to use Superpower is restricted to his stamina. If ****fully drained ****he becomes tired and ****exhausted****, he won't be able to use Superpower for a while and will be ****out of commission****.**

**Please, don't pester me on when updates are coming, since I'm in college. So have patience while I type these chapters up.**

**Also, don't request for any additions to the harem. I do things my way.**

**Izuku's Harem: Ochaco, Momo, Mina, Itsuka, Mei, Camie, Nejire, Melissa, Himiko**

**NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! I also will not accept guest reviews****. Constructive criticism is good for me, though. So please, review, follow, fave or all of the three!**


	2. Entrance Exam

**Me: Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now we're on to this next chapter, which will cover chapters 2, 3, and 4.**

**Oh I also got inspired by Green Lantern while coming up with Izuku's original quirk here minus the ring and flying part. So... yeah.**

**Edit: This chapter has been beta-read by Milarqui.**

**Chapter 2: Entrance Exam**

* * *

Izuku was sure that his hearing had to have played a fast one on him, because there was no way All Might had said what he just had said.

"Did you just say you want to give me your Quirk? How is that possible?" He asked, his mind reeling in an attempt to process this on top of everything that had happened in the past hour.

"**Indeed! Because, this is a secret, my Quirk can be passed down from one person to another**," All Might explained, surprising Izuku yet again.

"Why would you give me your Quirk?" Izuku asked. If he had a second Quirk, then he would probably become stronger, but he didn't conceive the idea of why All Might, the greatest hero in the world, would want to give up his Quirk to someone else. That was when he noticed All Might was... smoking?

"**Because...**"

All Might was interrupted when he suddenly exploded into a smoke cloud. Izuku freaked out as he used his Quirk to wave the smoke away, only to find that All Might had suddenly turned into a skeletal man.

"You are... deflated! Is this fake? Are you a fake? A doppelganger? You are so skinny, what happened?" Izuku said, starting to trip over his words in his shock over the sudden change.

"Fret not, young man, I am All Might. Well, All Might when I can't be All Might," The hero replied. "My real name is Yagi Toshinori, and I am afraid you have just discovered my biggest secret."

All Might – Toshinori – pulled his loose shirt up to show Izuku his body: a large scar now covered half of his torso, and he could also see several bones were missing.

"Five years ago, I got this injury from an villain's attack. I lost my left lung and my stomach was destroyed. It took me a long while to recover from all the surgeries I had to undergo, and even now the aftereffects are obvious. Because of this, right now I can only work as a hero for three hours a day."

"Five years ago... wasn't that when you fought Toxic Chainsaw?" Izuku asked, worried about his idol's state. Toshinori replaced his shirt and shook his head.

"You are remarkably well informed, young man. But no, it wasn't him, he never even touched me. It was someone else... and that fight was one that was never made public," He explained, awkward about having to show his injury.

"Uh-huh..." Izuku was not sure of how to take on All Might's secret. However, not only didn't it deter his admiration and respect for the hero, but in fact he actually thought it was more heroic for keeping it up in spite of his grave injury. "Oh, I'm sorry! I am Midoriya Izuku, nice to meet you!"

"Same to you, young Midoriya. You see, as I said earlier, you reminded me what it means to be a hero, much like top heroes did in the older days. Plus, I feel you are the right person to receive One for All."

"Well, if you feel that way... I accept," Izuku replied, grinning at the proposition.

"Good, but I think it will be better if we meet tomorrow, you look quite tired from this encounter. Meet me at Dagobah Municipal Beach Park tomorrow, early in the morning, and there we will be able to talk more about One for All. Is that fine?"

"Sure!"

"I'll see you then, young Midoriya."

Izuku nodded and watched as Toshinori – All Might – walked away, knowing that things were going to keep getting interesting soon.

* * *

As soon as he opened the door to his home, he was met by his mother, who glomped him as though she were a hug missile.

"IZUKU!" She cried out, and the boy had to move fast to remain on his feet as his mother held him in an unusually powerful grip. "THANK GOD YOU ARE ALRIGHT! WHEN I SAW YOU ON TV I WAS SO WORRIED!"

"Mom... can't... breathe..." Izuku managed to let out as his mother's hug turned life-threatening. Fortunately, she heard him and let him loose, only to pull him into another embrace that Izuku could return.

"Ohh... Izuku..." She said, sniffling. "I had been organizing your merchandise when I heard about that villain fighting so close, and then I saw you fighting him and I was so scared..."

"Don't worry, mom," Izuku crooned, stroking his mother's back. "I'm here, the villain didn't even manage to touch me. Everything's okay, your son isn't in any harm."

As she finally pulled away, Izuku cleared her tears from her eyes. Even in her late thirties, Midoriya Inko was still a pretty woman. Tall, slim and mature, Inko had managed to brave through her divorce and the discovery of her son's Quirk with a load out of her shoulders.

"What happened to you, Izuku?" She asked, still worried, and Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"It's kind of a long story, mom."

Izuku explained the day's events to his mother. His encounters with Katsuki, the sludge villain trying to ambush him, All Might saving him, rescuing Katsuki from the villain and then his idol's offer to train him – he tells her his real name, but leaves out the information about the man's Quirk and health.

"It seems you have been very busy then, Izuku," Inko said. She was not worried anymore by his problems with Katsuki, knowing that her son could deal with them, but the amount of attention Izuku had attracted from the Pro Heroes, particularly her son's favorite.

"Mom?" He spoke up, breaking her out of her thoughts. As she leaned back to look at him, he winced: her eyes still had red puffy rings around them from crying. "I'm sorry you had to see me running out there like that... but I thought you should at least know why I did what I had to do."

Inko pulled her son into another loving embrace, fortunately less crushing than her first one.

"Oh, Izuku, baby... I'm so proud of you. I just want you to be safe and happy. I know the path you've chosen is going to help you do that, but I was so scared that it would be the last time I ever saw you... Izuku, please promise me, that if you ever have to take any risks like that, you'll be thinking of us, and that you will come back to us." When she said 'us', she wasn't thinking just about herself, but also about the other people her son cared about.

"Mom, I promise that, whenever I put myself in danger, I will think of all of you, and that I will come out safely."

Inko smiled warmly at her son, wiping the remains of her tears.

"So, what do you think about me being trained by All Might?" He asked, clasping his hands together. Inko ruffled his fluffy hair.

"I think it's a wonderful thing. You want be a hero, so I don't see much danger in you being trained by your favorite Pro Hero. Thank you for telling me."

Izuku hugged his mother again, jumping in joy.

"Thank you so much, mom," He said.

"You are very welcome, Izuku. Now, get cleaned up and I'll get dinner ready, alright?" Inko said. Izuku nodded and rushed to get a shower.

Soon, the two of them were having dinner as Izuku went into more detail about his day. When they were done, he went to his room, intent on watching some more Kamen Rider before going to sleep, but in the middle of the episode his cellphone rang. Rubbing his eyes as the day began to catch up with him, he picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Izu-kun, long time no see," A female voice said, and Izuku woke from his tiredness as he recognized her.

"Itsuka!" He happily exclaimed.

"Yep, that's me!" She replied with a giggle.

Kendo Itsuka was a girl Izuku had met several years ago, while he was learning martial arts. The two had trained and sparred together several times before becoming friends out of a shared love for defending themselves, heroes and quite a few other things. However, when Izuku graduated from the dojo, they had lost touch with each other, and it had been a while since the last time they spoke: they were both glad of finally managing to hear from each other.

"So, Mr Famous, I heard on the news how you rescued Bakugo from that sludge villain. Very impressive," She praised him. Izuku chuckled.

"Oh, it was nothing. I mean, I just couldn't stand there and leave that villain to his own devices, especially since the heroes weren't doing anything to solve the situation," Izuku replied, trying to downplay his role in the events.

"Well, you are now unofficially a hero. Are you still planning to apply for U.A.?"

"Of course. How about you?"

"Of course," She parroted. Izuku laid down on his bed.

"I can't believe it's only ten months from now. I am going to have to start training a lot more."

"Same here. By the way, you still watching Tokusatsu?"

"Yep. I'm just getting caught on Kamen Rider Gaim, and as soon as I can I'll start watching the latest Super Sentai show."

Itsuka giggle again.

"Still as much a fanboy as ever. Well, my mother says it's time to go to sleep, so I have to hang up. It was great to hear you again, Izu-kun."

"You too, Itsuka-chan. I'll be seeing you for sure at the entrance exam."

"You can bet I will! Good night, Izu-kun."

"See you, Itsuka-chan," He replied, and he hanged the phone. Watching the rest of the episode, he thought about what All Might's training regiment might entail. One thing was sure, there would not be a dull moment for him now.

* * *

"Care to remind me why we are here?" Izuku asked as he covered up his nose.

Dagobah Beach had once been a beautiful public spot thanks to its waters and sand, but as Izuku arrived he had remembered how, in the past few years, it had become a junkyard, full of pollution, scrap and old, broken down household appliances. He wondered why All Might would pick this place to train to receive One for All.

"Because... when I was young, this place was wonderful. And I would love to see it restored to its former glory, because a hero is more than just someone who fights against villains, but someone who helps society. So, we are going to train... by cleaning up this mess," Toshinori explained, currently in his 'true' form: given the limit he had for using One for All, both of them agreed it would be best saved for another moment. Earlier, he had mentioned to Izuku that he had met him just in the perfect moment, because he knew he was not going to get younger any minute now and really needed to find a successor.

"I see," Izuku replied, looking around at the terrible mess that once was a beach. He could guess that a little community service would surely make the place beautiful once more. "So, how are we going to do this? Do I get One for All now, or do I have to train before I receive it?"

Toshinori took a good look at Izuku: under his workout clothes and shorts, Toshinori could see the lean and strong body of an athlete and fighter. It was clear that the kid had trained before.

"In other circumstances, I would say the latter, but between what I saw yesterday and this, I think you should be able to receive One for All already. But, one warning I must give you. You have to learn how to handle at least one percent of One for All's output soon, before the Quirk begins to stockpile power."

Izuku nodded in understanding.

"Then, I guess I will have to be careful when I use this Quirk. If I overdo it, I might end up with broken bones and torn muscles."

"Correct," Toshinori replied, before buffing up and making a pose. "**Alright! Now is the time for you, young Midoriya, to inherit One for All, a power that has been passed down for generations!**"

Izuku straightened up his posture, his arms straight and hands touching his hips, in an almost military position.

"I'm ready, All Might! I won't let you down!" Izuku said as he prepared himself to take the mantle as the next holder of One for All, and, hopefully, Symbol of Peace.

"**That's the spirit, young Midoriya!**" All Might stated as he laughed. "**Now... eat this!**"

Izuku looked at the blond lock that All Might was holding between his index and thumb fingers, and then back at the hero. He blinked.

"What?"

"**I know it sounds strange, but in order for you to gain One for All, you need to ingest the current bearer's DNA... and I think the hair is the least disgusting part that you could eat,**" All Might explained, placing the lock on Izuku's hand. Izuku kept staring at it.

"I can't believe I am doing this... but here goes nothing." He took a deep breath and put the lock in his mouth, trying his best not to gag at the mere fact that he was willingly eating hair. His idol's hair, sure, but still hair, and thus disgusting. In the end, he had to chase it down with a gulp of water.

"**I'm sorry, but it was the only way. Also, it is still going to take some time for your body to metabolize my hair, giving you access to One for All. So, in the meantime..**." All Might reverted his transformation, taking up his normal form once more as he coughed up some blood. "I need you to tell me everything you know about your Quirk, so we can determine how One for All might interact with it."

Izuku nodded and began to explain the three aspects of his Quirk, all of which had one thing in common, that they were based on emitting a green energy. After several minutes in which both of them exchanged ideas and suggestions over what Superpower really did, Toshinori concluded that the likeliest possibility was that One for All would only benefit from Help: since both Attack and Block were more energy based, it should not affect One for All and viceversa. Still, the two of them would keep an eye, because maybe something would happen.

"Alright, since we have already done the passing down of One for All and we know what might work and what might not... how about we begin the training? Let's see if you can finish cleaning up the mess around this park before the exams come up, alright?"

Izuku threw a fist into the air, giving out a confident grin.

"Right!"

* * *

_**10 Months Later**_

One week. That was all that rested until the U.A. Entrance Exam took place. And, for Izuku, the day could not arrive soon enough.

Adapting to One for All had not been an easy task for him. Just the first month had been a great change, as he had to get used to the flow of the powerful Quirk into his body. When he tested it for the first time, he noticed the red veins starting to appear on his skin, along with blue-ish green lightning sparking all over his body. As opposed to the calmness Superpower gave him, One for All was a source of excitement and eagerness.

Month by month, he had managed to remove most of the junk, enough to make Dagobah Municipal Beach Park begin to look exactly what it was supposed to be, that is, a beach, instead of a junkyard. The foul stench that once reeked the beach had finally vanished, and people could now visit the place once more to enjoy the sight of the sun setting in the horizon.

Toshinori could not have been happier and more proud than he was at the display of Izuku's determination and dedication to the training program he had devised. In just ten months, Izuku had grown half a foot and also developed a lean, muscled body that would have been the envy of every man and the lust object of people attracted to males. But, if there was something that was stunning, it was Izuku's willpower and unwillingness to never give up or stop, even when he was told to, during the intense, ten-month long training session.

And now, more than ever, it showed, as he trained his combination of One for All with Superpower.

"RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Even from where he was, Toshinori could see his successor standing in front of the water, wearing nothing but his red sneakers, his shorts and a layer of sweat over his torso, with the red veins and green lightning he now associated with One for All mixing with the yellow green energy of Help as he screamed in victory. Then, Izuku cocked his fist back, changed Superpower to Attack and let out a roar.

"**...SMASH!**"

Izuku fired his fist, and the shockwave he generated flew into the sandy beach and ocean waters, sending them flying forming a V with the point in the young man. Once the water settled down again, Izuku walked back to Toshinori, who could not avert grinning at seeing the results of the latest demonstration.

"So, how did I do, Yagi-san?"

"All I have to say is that I have no doubts that you are, indeed, the worthy successor of bearing One for All," Toshinori declared, putting a hand on Izuku's shoulder. After hearing such praise from his idol, Izuku began to tear up as he managed to give him a confident smile.

"I... I don't know what to say. Thanks for everything, All Might. I swear I will do my absolute best to go down the path that I have chosen, and which you have helped me to go through." Izuku threw a fist into the air, closing his eyes. Toshinori smiled as he messed with his apprentice's hair.

"I know you can do it, and that you will not let me down," He replied. "I think you have earned yourself a good week of rest before the U.A. Entrance Exam. Maybe some light running and some katas every day, but the hard training is done. At least for now. So, go do whatever you want to do, you certainly deserve it."

"I will. I'll see you around, then?" Izuku asked, packing up his things before waving Toshinori goodbye, and the hero returned the gesture.

_'You can bet I will be seeing you around soon, my successor.'_

* * *

Izuku took advantage of this chance to relax while walking to listen in on his favorite music on his way home. However, his plan was interrupted when he found a girl that seemed to be lost. Even with his lack of experience with girls, he could tell that she was a pretty one, between her long black hair tied into a spiky ponytail with a bang loose over the left side of her face, the gentleness of her features and the air of intelligence in her eyes.

Not wanting to see anyone getting lost, he decided to approach her and see if she needed help, taking off his earphones as he did so.

"Hey," He said, calling the girl's attention. She turned to him in a cautious manner, which he could understand, given that she did not know him. "Do you need help with something? You seem to be lost."

The girl looked sideways and turned a serious look at him.

"No, I was just exploring Musutafu, because I intend to study at U.A. High School, and I am going to be living here."

"Oh, good! I'm also planning to attend U.A. as well! Wait, where are my manners? My name is Midoriya Izuku, although you can call me Izuku if you want," He said, bowing to her. The girl smiled and bowed back.

"Yaoyorozu Momo, it is nice to meet you. If I am to call you Izuku, though, I insist you call me Momo. I got enrolled in U.A. through official recommendation."

"Really? Wow, your Quirk must be really powerful if you are not doing the entrance exam with everyone else." Momo nodded to a side, and the two began to walk almost aimlessly as they kept talking.

"Maybe it is, but I had hoped to test my Quirk in the practical exam." With the practiced eye of a girl of her class, Momo subtly inspected her potential classmate's appearance: it was clear he had been coming back from a training session of some kind, given his clothes and the now drying shirt he wore. He was as tall as she was, and under those clothes she could tell there was a quite serious set of muscles that many of her classmates would probably love to run their hands over. She shook her head and decided to begin to know the boy next to her.

"So, what kind of Quirk do you have, Izuku-san?" she asked.

"Well, my Quirk allows me to project energy from my body, and depending on the shade of green I can use it for different functions..." Izuku explained the basics of his Quirk to Momo, who was quite surprised at how powerful and versatile it was, since it allowed him to use it for attack and defense at the same time.

"How does your Quirk work, Momo-san?"

Momo decided to physically demonstrate her Quirk by putting out her right and using her left to pull out a fan from the palm of her hand.

"I can create any non-living material from my exposed skin through the molecular manipulation of my fat cells. Although, in order for it to work, I must visualize the object I want to create as well as its molecular composition, and I have to be careful to not create too much, or I will put my health at risk," She explained, starting to fan herself.

"Wow," Izuku said, admiring her Quirk's impressive versatility, which was even greater than his. "So you can pretty much create anything you can think about. That's an amazing Quirk, Momo-san."

Momo blushed a little at his praise.

"Thank you. I guess we will see each other at U.A. this semester?"

"Well, first I will have to get through the practical. The written part should be easy, though."

As the two continued walking, they began to share personal details about each other so they could know each other better. Momo laughed when she learned about Izuku's love for Tokusatsu, particularly as he demonstrated an almost encyclopedic knowledge of it, deciding she could check some of them in the future. Their walk was interrupted when Momo stopped, looking to the building next to her.

"Well, this is where I live in," Momo said.

"Which flat is yours?" Izuku asked, curious.

"It's actually the one of the top," She replied, a bit self-conscious.

"Wow, you live at the penthouse, Momo-san?" Izuku said in disbelief.

"I come from a rich family, Izuku-san. My family owns the entire building, actually." Even if still somewhat ashamed of appearing to be bragging about her family, Momo still felt comfortable at sharing the knowledge of it with the boy in front of him.

"I guess we must part ways here. I need to go home anyway, to get ready for the Entrance Exam. It was nice to meet you, Momo-san."

"It was nice to meet you too, Izuku-san. Say, would you like to exchange numbers? That way, we can stay in contact," Momo said with a smile.

"Sure." The two switched their phones so they could type down their numbers before switching back, and as Momo began to enter in her building, the two waved goodbye at each other before Izuku began to walk back home.

Things were clearly shaping up for Izuku in the last week before the exams.

* * *

_'Here I am,'_ Izuku thought as he began to walk into the U.A. campus.

Today was the Entrance Exam day, and Izuku was surrounded by hundreds of teenagers who were also getting ready for the exams that were about to take place. Having already received well wishes from his mother, All Might and Momo, all he could do now was to stare in awe at the design of the place: U.A. was a very futuristic looking place, and the large buildings seemed to be able to house tens of classrooms and other rooms, something that actually intimidated him a bit.

_'Such a cool place...'_

"Fuck off, Deku!" A very familiar voice snarled. Izuku sighed as he turned around to see Katsuki walking towards him, looking a lot like a delinquent, with a glare in his eyes. Not much had change in him in the past ten months, except perhaps growing into his muscles. "Get the fuck out of my way or die!"

"Hello to you too, Bakugo," Izuku replied sarcastically as his former friend scowled and walked past him, not even deigning to look back. "Seriously, grow up, will you?"

Deciding to put the matter of his classmate behind, Izuku shook his head before walking along with the other applicants. As he did, something passed through the corner of his eyes, and he turned to see it better.

It was a pretty girl with her brown hair bobbed and curved inward around her face, with short bangs reaching a quarter of the way down her forehead, and shining brown eyes that seemed to light up the room by themselves. Surprisingly, it seemed like her cheeks had two permanent pink stickers on them, but that actually looked good on her.

"May I help you?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, I couldn't help but notice you talking with that guy that passed by you earlier," She replied with a smile.

"If you want to call that talk... actually, that was just someone who used to be my friend and now is just an annoying acquaintance with an ego the size of Mount Fuji."

"Oh, I see," The girl said before giggling, something that made her look even cuter, in Izuku's opinion. "Well, I hope we both do great, Deku-kun!"

Izuku stopped walking, prompting her to stop walking as well, looking at him confused.

"Look, uh, my name is not Deku, it's actually Midoriya Izuku. The guy who said that called me like that when he thought I didn't have a Quirk, because he thought it meant I was worthless, and even after I manifested it he decided to stick with the name. So now, I just ignore him."

The girl gasped at the realization, shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to be that way. I thought it was Deku like Dekiru, you know, giving off the 'I can do it' attitude?" She looked away with an awkward giggle as her cheeks blushed even more.

Izuku just smiled at how adorable the girl was. The fact that she saw what was once an insult as a supportive name made him see it in a different light.

"I had never thought about it in that way, so thank you," He said with a grin. The girl looked down and then up again, still blushing.

"Oh! Since you already told me your name, I guess I ought to share mine. Midoriya-san, I am Uraraka Ochaco. Nice to meet you."

"Same to you. And I have no problem if you want to call me Deku, though. I like the way you say it," He replied putting out his hand, which Uraraka shook gleefully, although Izuku noticed she tried not to touch him with all her fingers.

"Then you have to call me Ochaco, Deku-kun. Should we go in, then?"

"Of course." Ochaco walked towards the entrance, but before he could follow, someone jumped on his back.

"Izu-kun!" The girl behind him said, hugging him from behind. Izuku easily forced the girl to put her feet on the ground and returned the hug.

"Itsuka-chan, you are here!"

"Well, of course I am, why would I miss the opportunity of being a hero?" She replied, and Izuku smiled. Releasing each other, the two walked into the building, ready for the first half of their examinations.

* * *

The written half of the exams had been very easy for Izuku, who thought that, while he may not have a 100 percent, he would probably achieve very high marks, and now they were getting ready for the second half, the practical. Unfortunately, he would have to sit right next to Katsuki for the duration of the pre-test demonstration, which was well away from the two girls he had met earlier. Still, as he ignored the jerk to his right as he said one rude thing after another, he managed to see Ochaco in the distance waving to him, while he waved back at her.

After everyone got seated, a tall slender man with very spiked long blond hair appeared on the scene. Wearing a black jacket with an upturned tall collar, leather trousers and boots, a pair of headphones with "HAGE" written on the headband and a pair of orange-tinted sunglasses, Izuku easily recognized him as Present Mic, the Voice Hero, and paid close attention as the hero began to speak.

"WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU TO MY LIVE SHOW!" Present Mic screamed out loud, causing a lot of the applicants to cover their ears or jumping in fright at the sudden shift. "NOW, NOW, NO NEED TO BE SCARED. NOW, EVERYBODY SAY HEY!"

Present Mic put his hand to his ear, as if trying to listen to the attendants, only for them to answer with silence. Izuku was too excited to respond, while most everyone else just did not care or were shocked at the hero's behavior.

"TOUGH CROWD THIS MORNING, I SEE!" Either he did not care or it simply did not bother him. "I'VE GOT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE TOO, LISTENERS! NOW... I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU THE LOWDOWN ON HOW THIS TEST IS GOING TO GO DOWN! ARE YOU READY?"

Again, silence was the only answer. Present Mic chuckled.

"PAY CLOSE ATTENTION, YOUNG LISTENERS! WE'LL BE TESTING YOUR METTLE BY SENDING YOU INTO A PRACTICE RUN AT OUR REPLICA CITY DISTRICT FOR SOME COMBAT TRIALS! YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY THE OBJECTS YOU WERE ALLOWED ACCORDING TO THE LETTER SENT TO YOU! NOW, EVERYBODY MUST GATHER IN YOUR DESIGNATED AREAS AFTER THIS PRESENTATION, YA DIG!"

Izuku saw that there were seven different examination sites, and the examinees were randomized around. Much to his tranquility, Izuku noted that he was in Site B while Katsuki had been designated for Site A.

"They don't intend on letting friends or classmates share a testing site? It's probably set up so I don't get to kill you," Katsuki muttered, loud enough for Izuku to hear it. Obviously, Katsuki was not as pleased by the assignation as he was. Izuku just ignored him through years and tons of practice.

The screen then changed to show silhouettes of three beings – a mushroom-like thing with feet, a turtle and a carnivorous plant – that he was quite sure had been ripped out of a classic video game, all with numbers on them and surrounding the image of an urban landscape.

"WE'LL BE SPRINKLING A LARGE NUMBER OF VILLAINS ALL OVER THE BATTLEFIELD, AND THEY WILL APPEAR IN THREE DIFFERENT VARIETIES, WITH POINT VALUES SCALED ACCORDING TO DIFFICULTY!" Present Mic continued, as the monsters in the screen were killed by a figure that looked like an Italian plumber, whose points increased with each enemy he killed. "USING YOUR QUIRKS, YOU MUST DISPATCH AS MANY VILLAINS AS YOU CAN, BECAUSE YOUR GOAL, LISTENERS, IS TO RACK UP A HIGH SCORE! AND BEFORE ANYONE THINKS ABOUT IT, ATTACKING OTHER EXAMINEES OR ANY OTHER ANTI-HERO STUFF WILL BE CAUSE FOR IMMEDIATE FAILURE, GOT IT?"

Looking at the screen, and then at his pamphlet, Izuku noticed there was still a fourth enemy to be shown, but he guessed they would explain it at a later point.

"Excuse me, may I ask a question?"

Izuku looked up to see another student stand up. Tall, muscular, with a wide frame and short dark blue hair, he really stood out, and his pointed features and rectangular glasses gave him the appearance of someone who played by the rules.

"On the handout, there are four types of villains, but you have mentioned only three! Such an error would be the heights of embarrassment for a top tier academy of U.A.'s caliber, particularly since all of us here are seeking guidance on the path to become model heroes!"

Everyone else was thinking the same thing.

_'That was a speech, not a question.'_

"OKAY, OKAY!" Present Mic gave a mischievous grin. "THANKS FOR THE SEGUE, AND MUCH APPRECIATED, EXAMINEE 7111! THE FOURTH TYPE OF VILLAIN YOU WILL ENCOUNTER IS NOT SO MUCH A VILLAIN, AS AN OBSTACLE!"

The screen changed again, this time to show another silhouette, this time of something that looked like a large stone block with an angry face.

"IN THE GAME WHERE THE MODEL VILLAINS CAME FROM, THERE WERE THESE THINGS THAT TRIED TO CRUSH YOU, WHICH YOU COULDN'T KILL! WELL, IN HERE, THE FOURTH VILLAIN IS LIKE THAT, AND ITS GIMMICK IS THAT IT WILL START TO RAMPAGE WHEN A CROWD FORMS NEAR IT! IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO DEFEAT, BUT IT IS INADVISABLE TO FIGHT IT, BECAUSE THE PENALTY FOR DOING SO IS TO LOSE ALL YOUR POINTS, SO YOU'D BETTER AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!"

Izuku made a mental note not to get anywhere close to that villain, because now it added another layer of problems in the exam.

"WELL, THAT'S ENOUGH FROM ME! I'LL LEAVE YOU ALL TO GO TO THE PRACTICAL EXAM! AS NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SAID, A TRUE HERO NEVER STOPS OVERCOMING THE MISFORTUNES IN LIFE!" He grinned at them, and dipped his sunglasses down to leer at them. "SO, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE MAIN EVEN! GOOD LUCK SUFFERING! GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!"

Well, the exam had suddenly become a lot more difficult now.

* * *

As everybody exited the amphitheater where the presentation took place, Izuku found Itsuka when she waved from her location.

"I was assigned to Site B. What about you?" Izuku asked.

"Site D. Looks like we won't be getting in each other's way," She replied, smiling.

"Be careful with the fourth type villain, those will mess with our scores."

"Don't worry, avoid fighting it and things will be fine," Itsuka said with confidence.

Just then, an announcement rang to remind all the examinees to board on their buses or they would forfeit the exam, so Itsuka hugged Izuku before running.

"Good luck, Izu-kun!"

Several minutes later, Izuku was in the designated Site B along with the other examinees, standing in front of a huge set of gates and the fences that covered what he presumed was the urban setting of buildings and streets. As was his wont, Izuku observed the other participants to find all of them were carrying equipment to compliment their Quirks in some way: he was glad he did not need anything to supplement Superpower and One for All.

He noticed that Ochaco had been assigned to the same site as he was, and she seemed to be anxious and sweating, so he started to walk towards her, to assure her that she would do fine.

"I see what you are up to! You are planning to measure that girl's ability to concentrate, aren't you?"

Izuku turned to the accusing voice, belonging to the guy with glasses that had earlier interrupted the presentation.

"Not at all. I just wanted to give moral support to someone I can tell is feeling nervous about this. What's wrong with that?"

The other examinees stopped their own conversations to look at Izuku.

"I think I've seen him before."

"It's the boy who fought that sludge villain last year!"

"Nah, he could be just someone that looks like him."

Izuku kept ignoring them, still focusing his sight on the stiff teenager who had accused him. The latter, however, seemed to come to his senses and bowed stiffly to him.

"My apologies. I am just as nervous and stressed as the others here, right now, and I just assumed you were going to hinder a fellow examinee, instead of helping her. Please, excuse my false accusation, and forgive me!" The kid spoke as stiffly as his bow, but Izuku could hear the honest sincerity and remorse in his voice.

"Hey, don't worry, I understand," Izuku replied. "Just, don't go jumping to conclusions, okay?"

Patting the bespectacled teen on the shoulder – and he was sure his face looked familiar – he looked to where Ochaco was, and it turned out she was looking at him, giving him a pretty smile and a thumbs up as...

"AAAAAND BEGIN!" Present Mic suddenly shouted, and the gate to the testing site opened, showing an urban landscape with villain bots prowling the streets.

Izuku jumped towards the gate, rapidly sprinting through and into the false city, closely followed by Ochaco and the bespectacled kid, leaving a crowd of confused examinees. Summoning a sword of dark green energy, Izuku barely paid attention to Present Mic still talking to the others as he made an overhead swing at the nearest one-pointer, slicing it in half before it blew up. The slice was followed by a second that cut through a two-pointer while he did a spin, and then the sword transformed into a ball he threw at another two-pointer.

_'Not bad, that's five points already!'_ He thought as he rapidly looked around in search of another target. A three-pointer called his attention just a few meters away, and Izuku charged before making an energy buzzsaw on his right arm, cutting the robot in half.

Running deeper into the city, he was met by four one-pointers that chose to fire bullets at him. Immediately, the dark green buzzsaw became a light green shield that reflected all the bullets back at them, causing their destruction as they got hit.

To his left and right side were now a one-pointer and a two-pointer. The former was dealt with by throwing an energy javelin straight into its body before twisting and presenting a shield to the latter, deflecting the stinger before he created a sword on his left arm. Tackling the two-pointer, the push gave him enough space to turn the shield into a second sword, allowing him to do a cross-slash that sliced it in four pieces.

Landing safely, Izuku headed right to find three more robots. This time, he chose to get physical: infusing his arms with the strength of One for All, he grabbed the nearest one-pointer and spun it around to hit a two-pointer with it, before cocking his fist and sending the third robot into the air.

Coming back the way he came, he found more bots in a narrow alley, and decided to spice it up by taking advantage of the environment. Running up a wall with Superpower-infused legs, he then formed a barrier beneath his feet to crush the closest robot, and then dodged the stingers from the other two robots in there. A sword quickly sliced the stinger of the two-pointer to his left and a One for All punch dismantled the one in the right before he grabbed the sliced off stinger and used it to stab its previous owner to death.

Seeing no more robots nearby, he listened intently and heard at least four more of them coming from around the corner. Walking to the corner, he rapidly wiped out the one-pointer among them with an energy ball, and as the three three-pointers that accompanied it readied to counter, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes: his arms were soon covered with dark green energy particles.

Then, he opened his eyes, and crossed his arms, ready to fire the improved version of the attack that had destroyed the sludge villain ten months before.

"ZONE FIGHTER BLAST!"

The energy beam the attack fired was smaller than its previous version. It made up in destructive potential: not only were the three-pointers volatilized, the nearby buildings were also heavily damaged from the impact of the beam.

_'Alright, I have destroyed ten one-pointers, six two-pointers and four three-pointers, so I have thirty-four points. I thought this would be hard, but it is actually really fun!'_

Moving on from where he was, Izuku failed to notice the looks other examinees were giving at him and his almost casual destruction of all the robots he had met. One of them in particular, Iida Tenya, the one who had stopped Izuku earlier, looked at the path the latter had carved up with his Quirk, and decided to use his own to find more villains quickly before the green energy blasted them.

As for Ochaco, she was destroying her fair share of robots by using Zero Gravity to leave the villains weightless and throwing them against walls, the floor or each other. The sight of Izuku annihilating villains left and right brought a blush to her face as she briefly remembered their encounter before the exam, before she shook her head so she would focus on the test, smashing a two-pointer against a nearby wall.

* * *

The current and future staff of U.A. was, in the meantime, watching and observing the action taking place in the different examination rooms.

In the middle of the group stood out a... well, a 'man' that actually looked more like a strange combination of a dog, a mouse and a bear, wearing a white dress shirt, a dark red tie and matching black waistcoat and dress pants. With his most distinguishing mark being a large scar over his right eye, Nezu, U.A.'s Principal, put the intelligence given to him by his Quirk, High Spec, to its true test.

"With a strict time limit and an open field filled with villains, this test shows us the skills these children have," He said with a happy tone.

"This one looks like a strong one," Someone wearing a white space suit stated, watching a six-armed boy use rapid strikes to destroy several villains at the same time.

"Ah, a fast one. I always like those," A woman that dressed like a dominatrix said with a sultry voice, watching with interest as her screen showed a blue-haired boy running at unnatural speeds between robots, kicking them and sending them flying to their deaths before moving on.

"A calm mind is always important when dealing with an enemy," A man dressed like a stereotypical Far West cowboy drawled, checking a blond boy firing laser blasts from his navel while calmly smiling.

"And, of course..." Another man, this one slender, with messy shoulder-length black hair and tired half-opened dark eyes, continued. His screen showed two boys, one of them a blond one that was surrounded by destroyed robots with a savage grin, while the other was a green-haired one who used well balanced attacks with both his body and his energy weapons to cut his way through. "Fighting skills."

"The point system we have implemented is a good way to gauge the respective levels of those foundational skills," The animal-like man replied, keeping an eye on all the screens.

"Oh, my, we may have ourselves a very interesting crop this year, don't we?" The woman huskily asked.

"We can't be quite sure of that yet, Midnight," Another man, better known as Yagi Toshinori, replied, walking up to a large red button covered with a plastic barrier, which he flipped over. "The real test has yet to begin."

"YOU STILL HAVE THREE MINUTES LEFT IN THE WATCH! KEEP FIGHTING, LISTENERS!" Present Mic shouted, for the benefit of both the examinees and the examiners.

"You can do it, Toshinori," Nezu said, and Toshinori pressed the red button.

Immediately, seven large robots, all of them larger than the buildings in the sites, made their appearance. These robots had a large 0 painted on their heads, marking them as the 0-pointers the examinees had been warned about. Immediately, the huge robot started to attack anything and anyone within its vicinity, causing most of the candidates to run away in fear.

"To reveal their true nature, when facing an obstacle that seems impossible to overcome and has a severe penalty to add to it..." Toshinori said solemnly, as destruction and mayhem were caused by the sudden appearance of a potentially unbeatable villain. One screen, looking at Site B, though, showed something that caused him to smile triumphantly. "... while also creating the opportunity for it to come out."

* * *

A rapid uppercut sent a two-pointer flying into the air before crashing down hard on the streets.

"Great, that makes it one hundred points!" Izuku exclaimed, looking around for more villains to destroy. He found several of them fighting other examinees, but given that they were being surrounded, he figured he could leave that in their hands.

By his own estimations, there were only two minutes and a half resting on the clock, so he thought he could slow down on his fighting.

That was when the ground began to shake, and when he turned to the direction the noise was coming from, he felt his jaw dropping.

Close to the group of examinees – who had finished off the last villains they were fighting – a huge robot was rising from the grounds, shedding rubble and debris around without care. It had to be the fourth kind of villain, the one that left you with no points if you engaged it in a fight.

_'Damn, that thing is a **Kaiju**! I better get away fast!'_ Izuku thought as the robot began attacking the buildings while advancing toward the examinees, who chose to pick flight over fight as they ran away from the sudden, unexpected threat.

Before Izuku could imitate them, though, he heard a scream of pain coming from where the huge robot was: when the smoke and dust cleared up, he saw Ochaco had been trapped underneath the rubble the zero-pointer had created with its indiscriminate attacks. None of the examinees realized her situation as they tried to run away from the robot, which was advancing towards the injured girl in a threatening manner.

Without thinking about it, Izuku sprinted forward, sending energy to his legs to run as fast as humanly possible and even more, to reach the gentle girl before the robot did. In his haste, he passed right by Tenya, who turned his eyes to look at the green blur, allowing him to notice what had pushed Izuku to run against the current.

_'Oh, no'!_

Ochaco kept struggling, uselessly attempting to get herself loose from the rock she suspected had just broken her ankle, when she noticed Izuku running towards her... towards the villain.

_'No, no, Deku-kun, don't do this, don't sacrifice your chance for me!'_

For Izuku, the possibility of losing his one chance of entering U.A. did not matter. The one thing that did was saving someone. And to save someone, he would give his all. Through his legs to run faster and jump into the air. Through his feet to fire energy streams and direct his jump. Through his right arm to give it all the strength he needed. Through his hand to create an energy ball.

Only one thought in mind.

_'I have to save her.'_

He gritted his teeth in concentration, and as he began to reach the zero-pointer's head he began to unleash his most powerful move.

"**SPECTREMAN...**"

* * *

"Yes, it is an opportunity for those who are up to the challenge to shine brightly and rise up to the surface!" Toshinori said proudly. The eyes of everyone in the examiners' room were fixed on the largest screen, showing how Midoriya Izuku unhesitatingly ran forward towards the villain he was not supposed to fight, all after seeing young Uraraka in trouble. Everyone grinned in excitement as the boy jumped in the air, ready to meet an enemy whose head was bigger than he was.

"That's right! The most important quality of a true hero," Toshinori declared, amazed to see Izuku seamlessly combining One for All with Attack. "For there is nothing nobler, nothing purer... than self-sacrifice!"

* * *

The dark green energy ball in his hand was now large enough to cover him entirely. And, when he was but a few meters away from the robot, he saw his chance.

"**CANNON!**"

With a punch from his red-vein-covered right fist, the ball flew the short distance that separated Izuku from the robot, striking it in the face before it engulfed the entire villain: immediately, the robot blew into its component pieces, which became scattered all along the deserted streets behind the robot. Those who had witnessed the event felt their eyes nearly pop out at the level of destruction one of their own had managed to unleash.

Carefully landing on the ground thanks to a barrier, Izuku immediately went over to Ochaco and used his yellow-green-energy covered arms to lift the large piece of concrete off of her leg.

"Are you okay, Ochaco-chan?" He asked her with concern, kneeling beside her.

"TIME'S UP!" Present Mic screamed, strangely heard at the right time, and everyone present's mood soured. All the teenagers present as Izuku helped Ochaco stared at him in pity, knowing that he had scored the most points out them all, only to lose them in the last second by saving Ochaco, sacrificing his chance to attend U.A. without a second thought.

Ochaco attempted to stand up, but as soon as she tried to move her left foot, her ankle throbbed in sharp pain. Instinctively, she placed her hands on it.

"My ankle," She said, one of her eyes tearing up from the pain. Izuku placed his left hand on her shoulder, making her turn to him in confusion.

"Hold still." Covering his right hand with yellow green energy, he placed it above her left ankle and gently released the energy into it, seeking to knit bones and muscles and ligaments into their rightful place. Ochaco shuddered as the pain went away from her now healed ankle, and as she stood up she was in tears, looking at Izuku.

"I'm so sorry, Deku-kun," She said, sad at what had just happened, while shaking her head sideways and closing her eyes.

"Don't be, Ochaco-chan, it wasn't your fault. I'm just glad that you are well, and that's all that matters to me... no regrets," He replied, softly and sincerely, as he smiled, but everyone could tell there was still a hint of sadness behind that smile.

"Well, it seems you have done my job for me, lad."

The two turned to see an old, elderly woman walking towards them, dressed like a doctor and using a large syringe as a cane to walk between the rubble. Izuku knew this was Recovery Girl, the Youthful Heroine, and user of one of the few Quirks that could outright heal people.

"That is some Quirk you have there," She complimented Izuku, who nodded in appreciation before walking away, out of the battle site – but not before giving one last glance and smile at a guilt-ridden Ochaco.

As Recovery Girl began to hand out her special gummy bears to everyone nearby before moving away to the next site, Ochaco looked at the retreating back of her savior, before making a determined look with her face.

_'You deserve being at U.A. more than me, Deku-kun! I'll do what I can to make sure you get accepted!'_

With that vow in mind, she left to make her way out so she could pick the bus that would take them back to the main building, followed by the other examinees on site. Much to their surprise, Izuku was not anywhere within the bus, and as it moved away everyone wondered where he had gone.

When they arrived, they were besieged by another girl, one Ochaco recognized from seeing her talking to Deku before the exams. Ochaco nonetheless run forward, trying to find the examiners to speak with them, closely followed by Tenya.

"Izuku! Izuku!" The orange-haired girl said, before turning to one of the Site B examinees. "Has any of you people seen a green-haired boy anywhere?"

"Uh, he... he saved that girl from the zero-pointer villain, and then left on his own. I think he wanted to be left alone for a while," One of them answered. Itsuka's eyes widened before she clenched her fists in anger, also running the same way Ochaco had gone for, leaving behind a group of even more confused examinees.

"Man, things just got weird," One of them remarked.

* * *

As he arrived home, Izuku opened and closed the door quietly, to see his mother standing there with a smile. A smile that slipped when she saw the depressed look on his face. Inko went up and hugged him, holding him gently, as he finally let out the tears he had been holding up since he left the testing site.

"I'm so sorry, Mom," He said, his tears finally pouring out of his eyes as he buried himself within his mother's loving and nurturing embrace.

"It's okay, Izuku. Mommy's here for you, everything will be alright," She replied, carefully helping him to his knees as she focused on comforting her son in his time of need, showing him the love and support he needed at the moment.

Soon after, though, Izuku let go of his mother, leaving her stunned, and decided to walk out of their apartment before she could ask him what had happened exactly. However, his mother knew him well and knew where he was going, so when she saw he had left his phone behind, she decided to act.

* * *

Back in her home, Momo was lounging on the couch, reading a book on the latest developments in electronics as she waited for Izuku to text her about him passing the entrance exam. Then, hopefully, he would accept her invitation to hang out and eat dinner together, in order to celebrate that they would go to U.A. together, as well as her definitely moving into Musutafu. The fact that she really admired Izuku for his heroic mindset and his delicious appearance was just a bonus in her mind.

Her cellphone began to ring and vibrate, and she picked it up: seeing it was Izuku, she immediately accepted the call.

"Hello?" She quickly answered.

"Hi, is this... Yaoyorozu Momo?" Someone else, someone that was not Izuku, asked. Momo could tell that, whoever she was, must have been worried and sad.

"Yes, that's me. Who is this?" She tentatively asked, wondering why an adult woman was calling her on Izuku's phone.

"This is Midoriya Inko. I am Izuku's mother."

If she was calling, it clearly had to be something serious, so she stood up and prepared herself for leaving.

"What happened?"

"My son just arrived from the entrance exam... he said he didn't pass... that he won't be attending U.A. High School," Inko said, crying.

Momo was left in silence. She was sure that Izuku had passed, he had to have passed. Something was clearly missing or wrong.

"Do you know where he is?" She asked.

"He... he didn't say where he was going, but I am sure he went to Dagobah Beach. He's been going there almost every day this past year."

"I see. Thank you for telling me, Midoriya-san," She said, hanging up and getting dressed so she could find the first friend she had made in this town.

* * *

Sitting in the sandy shores of the beach he had spent almost a year working to clean up, Izuku could still admire their beauty as he wrapped his arms around his legs, watching the sun setting over the now orange ocean waters.

"I can't believe I'm not going to go to U.A. in the end. All that hard work for nothing..." Izuku sighed in depression. "Looks like Bakugo is going to be happy when he learns this."

Standing up, he brushed the sand that had clinged to his uniform – still torn up from the effort he had made when saving Ochaco – and kept looking out as the sun kept moving.

_'I guess there are more options out there for me, but after this I'm not so sure that I can actually do it...'_

"Izuku-kun!"

Izuku turned to the voice, seeing Momo running towards him, clearly worried.

"Momo-chan..." He whispered, surprised that she had found him there. As she stopped, she puffed a few times before crossing her arms, hugging her chest.

"Izuku-kun, your mother told me that you had not passed. What happened to make you think you didn't get in?" She asked, stepping closer. Izuku sighed.

"There was a girl trapped that was about to be attacked, and I was the only one that had a chance to save her, so I jumped in and..." He replied, looking down in sadness. Momo looked at him with a raised eyebrow, before giving a small smile.

"Let me guess, you destroyed some kind of trap villain in order to save the girl, but you think it caused you to lose all your points," She said, and Izuku nodded. Much to his surprise, she suddenly hugged him. "Tell me something, Izuku-kun. What makes a hero? What are the actions that define a hero?"

"A true hero is someone who can save anyone, no matter what it takes, even if it is at the cost of their own life," He whispered. "It is not measured by their power, but by their courage to act with heart."

"Exactly," Momo said, pulling back. "Do you really think the examiners will overlook something like that? They saw you willingly sacrifice your chance to attend U.A. in order to save a girl from being harmed. I really doubt they would fail someone that would do such a selfless act."

"So... that last boss... it was just a fake? Present Mic, that lying liar," Izuku said, making an annoyed grunt. Momo nodded with a pleased smile on her face.

"I don't know how they will score people in the exam, but I really doubt they only take into account how many villains you defeated. If my analysis is proven wrong, though, I will turn down their invitation, because I will not go to a school that does not know what being a hero truly means. Because, if there is someone that deserves being at U.A., that's you, Izuku-kun."

"Momo-chan..." Izuku said, blinking and looking at her in surprise. In answer, Momo hugged him again.

"We have only known each other for about a week, but it has taken me less than that to realize how strong you are in your determination and perseverance to become a hero. So, anytime you feel down, I will be there to help you back on your feet."

Izuku blushed, although he was not sure if it was because of her words or because of the way her chest was touching his.

"Izu-kun!"

"Deku-kun!"

"I'm confused! Is it Izuku or Deku? Unless it is Izuku Deku!"

The two broke their embrace out of shock, looking to the voices that had just called him out: it seemed that Itsuka, Ochaco and the blue-haired boy from earlier had been looking for him, if their waving at him was a sign.

Itsuka ran to Izuku and hugged him.

"Izu-kun! Don't you dare run off like that again!" She scolded him, worried. Izuku was puzzled.

"How did you guys find me?" he asked.

"Your mother called me to tell me what happened, and the two of them asked if they could come, too," She answered.

"So..." Izuku said, looking at Ochaco and Tenya. "Why are the two of you here?"

"First, I wanted to introduce myself. I am Iida Tenya," The blue-haired boy said, bowing. "I have come to apologize for my actions from earlier."

"I wanted to check on you," Ochaco said with a worried expression. "I was so scared! But I know that you are going to be accepted, Deku-kun!"

"Izuku," Momo said in a questioning tone, "Would you mind presenting me to them?"

"Oh, sure," Izuku said as the trio turned to her. "This here is Kendo Itsuka, my oldest friend, whom I met when we were learning martial arts. She is Uraraka Ochaco, and as you have heard, he is Iida Tenya. Everyone, this is Yaoyorozu Momo."

Tenya bowed and greeted Momo, but the girls did not say much, as they looked at each other: it was obvious to them that they were all interested in Izuku for the same reason, even if they had met him at different times, and a silent war was declared. Oblivious to what was happening on his behalf, Izuku went to talk with Tenya.

"There is nothing to apologize for, when you already did it before the exam began."

"I know that. But I am apologizing about the other thing you did," Tenya said. "That was a very brave and heroic act you did, and no matter what the teachers might say, I think you deserve to be in. I hope the first time we met won't ruin any potential friendship."

"Hey, I already forgave you, Iida-san," Izuku smiled, glad to have another friend. Tenya smiled back, and turned to Momo.

"You are a Yaoyorozu? As in, the famous Creation family?"

Momo nodded.

"Yes, I am. I came here to live close to U.A. while I attend."

"Yeah, she earned a recommendation to join in," Izuku added.

"It is amazing you earned a recommendation to get into such a prestigious school as U.A.," Tenya stated, impressed. "I assume it relates to your academic grades?"

"Yes," she replied, "Although I am also quite good in athletics."

The tension between the three girls ramped up, as Itsuka and Ochaco felt their competitor's stock rise on their path for Izuku. Itsuka had nursed a crush on him for years, and Ochaco only had to think of how he saved her life without hesitation to feel her heart begin to pound: while it was true that, compared to Momo, they paled in comparison on body appearance, they knew that Izuku was not one to judge just on that.

"Oh, I just remembered something!" Momo turned to Izuku. "I was hoping we could go out for dinner to celebrate your getting accepted to U.A. and me moving here."

"What?" Itsuka and Ochaco asked at the same time.

"Oh, yeah, I could use some dinner. I am pretty hungry after the exam," Izuku mentioned.

"Me too," Itsuka added, feeling quite famished herself.

"I am starving too," Ochaco said,

"I could use a meal as well, if you do not mind," Tenya stated.

Momo smiled and clasped her hands together. While it was more people than she expected, she did not mind inviting more people that might become her friends.

"Well, then we can go to this nice Yakiniku restaurant I found in downtown the other day. My treat, everybody!" She cheerfully said as the others actually felt the sweat drop at the back of their heads at her unintentionally flaunting how rich she was.

* * *

Back at U.A., Toshinori was turning off his computer after watching once more Izuku's test, in a high spirited mood after seeing his successor's display of both skill and spirit. Izuku was certainly shaping up to be the next Symbol of Peace All Might truly envisioned him to be.

_'He has already surpassed my expectations, and he has earned the highest Entrance Exam score in the history of U.A. He beat even my score!'_ Toshinori thought, smiling, closing the door to his new office. He had also heard how the young man had left the test site on his own, but he hoped that, once he calmed down, he would deduce the actual 'bluff' in the test.

_'It won't be long until he gets his letter, then he'll see the surprise. He is truly deserving of it all,'_ He told himself, walking down the corridor that led outside, happily whistling as he imagined the young man's face when he saw his true marks.

* * *

_**Five Days Later**_

It was as he was in his room, watching Godzilla fighting Mechagodzilla for the umpteenth time, that his mother barged into the room, holding out an envelope with U.A.'s symbol stamped on it.

"Izuku, it's here!" She said, showing him the envelope.

Pausing the movie, Izuku carefully took the surprisingly heavy envelope from her hand, and Inko decided to walk out of the room, in order to give him the space she felt he needed: he could later tell her the news.

Izuku stared at the envelope, wondering if he should open it to be told whether he was accepted or not, but in the end decided that, no matter what, he needed to find out. Opening the envelope, he found a circular device inside, which he placed on his desk, knowing that it was a holographic projector.

The shock came when he saw All Might himself was doing the projection.

"**Greetings, young Midoriya!**" The Number 1 Hero said as introduction.

"All Might? What in the..." Izuku trailed off.

"**In the first place, you may wonder why I am doing this. The reason is that, starting next semester, I will be teaching at U.A.!**"

"What?" Izuku exclaimed, and a hand suddenly showed up, waving at All Might.

"**Yes, yes, get to the point, stop showboating... for the written part of the exam, you have earned one of the few perfect scores this year, but that alone does not guarantee a spot at the most prestigious Hero Academy in Japan! For the practical part, you had scored exactly 100 points until you decided to go against the zero-point villain without hesitation, even though you were warned that doing so would reduce your score to 0! That means you have failed...**" All Might trailed off.

Izuku remained hesitant: even after the reassurance of his friends, who were now in the group picture that was his computer's desktop background, he still felt his actions had led to failure. Nonetheless, he continued to watch the projector.

"**Or, at least, that was what I would say if it were not for the fact that you have not incurred in any penalty! My partner Present Mic led you all to believe attacking the villain would cause you to lose your points, when in fact it was merely worth 0 points, nothing more, nothing less. That means you have 100 Villain Points, more than enough to be accepted for the Hero Course!**"

Izuku smiled in excitement: after five days of fear, it turned out it had been for nothing. He would be able to attend U.A. High School! He was going to be with his friends for three years!

But the video did not end yet, as All Might motioned to a screen to his left, which the cameraman turned to.

"**Now, I may not be much of an entertainer, but I believe you ought to see something else!**"

The screen showed Itsuka, Ochaco and Tenya entering what seemed to be a teacher's lounge, where they stopped in front of Present Mic, the only present examiner.

"What were you doing there?" Izuku wondered.

"**As soon as the exam ended, these three came to us directly! Why? Well, let's find out!**"

_"Um, hello, excuse me?" Ochaco asked, bringing the attention of the Voice Hero._

_"Is there a problem, young listener?" Present Mic asked, fortunately in a normal tone rather than the shouting from earlier._

_"Do you.. remember a green haired boy with freckles? Kind of tall, just a little shorter than him," She said, gesturing at Tenya, who decided to take over the discussion._

_"Yes, we want to discuss the student who wore a green tracksuit, the one that defeated the zero-point villain at Testing Site B!_

_"If it helps, his name is Midoriya Izuku," Itsuka added. "Examinee 2234."_

_"Yeah, Deku-kun!" Ochaco said, a determined expression on her face. "Would it be possible to give him my points?"_

Izuku was shocked at what Ochaco had just asked, and she continued.

_"Deku-kun was the strongest out there from the moment the test began! I think... no, I know that he had the most points in our testing site! He had the highest chance of getting in, yet he willingly squandered his chance to save my life!"_

_"Don't take all of her points! If it is necessary, take some of my points to add to it! What Midoriya-san did was something I should have done as well, but I was too scared to act in fear of my own safety!" Tenya stated._

Izuku's eyes began to tear up as he heard the two of them, whom he had just met that day, coming in to request whatever it was on their hand to ensure he would be able to go to U.A. All Might paused the video just then.

"**You may have a powerful Quirk, young Midoriya... but the worth of a hero is based in how what you do touches others. And your noble and selfless actions have touched deeply into other people's hearts, indeed!**" He started the video once again.

_"There's no one else worthier of being accepted into U.A. than him!" The two of them said, bowing at the same time. Present Mic had to fight the urge to smile widely, before he turned to Itsuka._

_"And you?"_

_Itsuka sighed before smiling._

_"Izu-kun... he has always been the most courageous, kindest person I have ever known," She said. "He would always go in to protect anyone that needed his help, no matter the cost to himself. So, if it is possible, please take some of my points as well! I am sure that, if we split it between the three of us, it should be enough to ensure all three of us and him can get in!"_

_Itsuka then bowed along with Ochaco and Tenya, and Present Mic put a huge smile on his face, seeing the three teenagers doing such a selfless act for the sake of a friend._

_"I am sorry, but even if you beg, we cannot assign anyone's points to other people." Just as the trio was about to protest, Present Mic lifted his hands to stop them. "However, do not think this to be the end, young listeners! I assure you that, if you wait a few days, you will get a very good surprise."_

_Present Mic winked at the three._

The video stopped, and the camera went back to All Might, who was giving his trademark encouraging smile.

"**It is rare for a person to be born with such a rare heart of gold as yours, but you are here, and I am telling you, that we do not judge solely on the Villain Points you earn by fighting robots.**"

The image of All Might was replaced with something he had not expected: himself. Himself turning around to see Ochaco trapped under the rubble, with the zero-point villain looming over her. Himself running at his maximum speed, trailing green energy and lightning. Himself jumping at a great height until he was face to face with the robot. Himself punching the robot into scrap with Spectreman Cannon. Himself helping Ochaco and healing her.

"**Because, how could a hero course reject people who save others and do the right thing? We also judge you on your willingness to sacrifice yourself to aid other people and that's Rescue Points!**"

_'Man, I can already hear Momo telling me 'I told you so','_ He thought, happy tears running down his face.

"**Your final result, with 100 Villain Points and 70 Rescue Points, is 170 points! Which makes you not only the student with the highest marks of this year, but the student with the highest marks in all of U.A.'s history! You even shattered the previous record, _my_ record, by 70 points, so I have to say good job!**"

Izuku lost the battle against trying to keep the tears from overrunning his face, and he found a handkerchief to dry himself up as the camera panned back to show All Might doing a pose and raising his hand, as if gesturing Izuku to come forth, which he did.

"**But this... is just the beginning of your journey. You've certainly showed everyone what you are made of, what it means to be a true hero... and you most certainly went Plus Ultra. Midoriya Izuku, welcome to your Hero Academia!**"

* * *

**Milarqui: The Soundtrack for the Practical Test until the reveal of the zero-pointer is Yashiori Strategy from Shin Godzilla. When Izuku begins to run to save Ochaco, it is Ultraman Zero: The Revenge of Belial. When Izuku arrives home after the exams, the Love Theme from Ultraman TIGA.**

**Me: Oh my god, this took me awhile, but I finally did it. ****As you can see I have taken many inspirations from the other MHA fics here and they're just awesome... So you might see the similarities here, just to my style and liking to make it different.**

**Okay for Izuku's Super Moves they will have names based on things relating to Tokusatsu.**

**So please review, fave, follow, or all of the above. But NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! ****Unless it's criticism which I'm fine with. ****I also will not accept guest reviews.**


	3. Quirk Test

**Me: Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now for this chapter it will cover 5, 6, and 7 basically the Quirk Apprehension Test arc.**

**Milarqui: And I am the one making sure that tenses actually follow a rational pattern. Seriously, for a Grammar Nazi like me it was terrifying.**

**Chapter 3: Quirk Test**

* * *

_"You weren't kidding when you said we have an interesting crop this year."_

_The practical test had ended a few hours before, and the examiners were now looking at the scores the candidates had earned._

_"This one kid in particular, Midoriya... he broke pretty much every record we have for the practical Entrance tests," Present Mic said._

_1st - Midoriya Izuku: Villain 100, Rescue 70_

_2nd - Iida Tenya: Villain 52, Rescue 40_

_3rd - Bakugo Katsuki: Villain 77, Rescue 0_

_4th - Kirishima Eijiro: Villain 39, Rescue 35_

_5th - Uraraka Ochaco: Villain 28, Rescue 45_

_6th - Shiozaki Ibara: Villain 36, Rescue 32_

_7th - Kendo Itsuka: Villain 25, Rescue 40_

_8th - Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu: Villain 49, Rescue 10_

_9th - Tokoyami Fumikage: Villain 47, Rescue 10_

_10th - Awase Yosetsu: Villain 50, Rescue 6_

_"The only sad thing is that the third ranked examinee, this Bakugo Katsuki, did not score a single Rescue point during the entire test. If it weren't for his Villain points, he would not be in – and even that was not enough to get him the 2nd rank, though."_

_Everybody nodded in agreement at the Voice Hero's words, while All Might sat back, watching the judges' analysis as he went deep in thought._

That had happened five days before, and now Yagi Toshinori – better known by his Pro Hero name, All Might – stood at the cleaned Dagobah Municipal Beach Park as he watched the ocean waters come and go under the light of the crescent moon in the sky.

"Hey, Yagi-sama!" Izuku called out, and Toshinori smiled as he saw his successor had just arrived.

"Ah, young Midoriya, I see you have received my text," He said as Izuku approached him. "Congratulations on passing the exam and figuring out the bluff."

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done the latter without a friend's help," Izuku said. "The big surprise was that you are going to be teaching at U.A."

Toshinori nodded.

"That's right, I will be guiding the newest generation of heroes to make a brighter future."

"That's great! Guess I should start to get ready for when the first day starts," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head while smiling.

"If you want my suggestion, you should continue to master One for All while you still have the time, the better control you have for that the better it will be for you," Toshinori suggested, and Izuku nodded. Smiling, he decided it was time for both of them to rest. "Alright, farewell then, young Midoriya."

From his position at the beach, Izuku waved at the leaving Toshinori, deciding to stay for a few minutes before returning home.

In the distance, a couple that had decided to have a nice night stroll had witnessed (but not heard) the encounter.

"What do you think they were talking about?" The girl asked.

"I have no idea," The boy replied.

* * *

_**First day of the school year**_

The day had finally come. Today, Izuku started his first year in U.A. High School, and he was looking at himself, wearing the school uniform: a light gray blazer with dark turquoise trimmings over a white dress shirt and dress pants, along with a red tie he had not managed to tie up properly in spite of all his efforts. On his feet were his favorite red boots with white soles laced up to the top, and on the back his green backpack, decorated with pin buttons, stickers and keychains of every Tokusatsu franchise he had seen.

"I'm heading out, Mom," Izuku called as he prepared to leave.

"Izuku, honey!" Izuku looked at her as she smiled. "Good luck out there. I know you can do it, show them what you are made of!"

Izuku grinned confidently and nodded.

"Right, I will!" He repiled as he opened the door and left his house.

When he did it, Inko's smile turned a bit more devious.

"And make sure you get me a lot of grandkids to spoil while you are at it..." She whispered, making a small cackle now that her son could not hear her.

Izuku felt a slight sudden shudder as he began to run downstairs, but not seeing its source he shrugged and walked to the bus station. Once he boarded the bus he knew would leave him near his new high school, he pulled out his cellphone and decided he had enough time to watch an episode of Shuriken Sentai Ninninger. He knew he was getting strange looks as he watched one of his favorite Tokusatsu series, but he paid them no mind, only disconnecting from it when the end credits rolled, just in time to arrive to his bus stop. Getting off the bus, he walked the rest of the distance, and was happy to meet Itsuka, Momo and Ochaco waiting for him at the entrance.

"Morning!" He greeted, and the girls smiled at him.

"Morning, Izu-kun!" Itsuka said.

"Morning, Deku-kun!" Ochaco chirped.

"Good morning to you too, Izuku-kun," Momo replied.

"So, where is Tenya-san?" Izuku asked, wondering where their overachiever friend was now.

"He got here earlier than us, so he's probably already waiting in the classroom," Momo explained.

"1-A, right?"

"Yes," Momo and Ochaco said at the same time, causing them to look at each other and narrow their eyes. Izuku wondered about this strange behavior.

"Just the bad luck that I was put in 1-B," Itsuka said, sighing and pouting.

"Hey, don't worry, we will still see each other at lunch time, and there might be joint classes after all," Izuku replied, patting her on the shoulders and drawing a greater pout out of her.

"I guess we should get going, we don't want to be late for our first day," Itsuka said, and the others nodded. Entering the building, they picked an elevator that would take them to the top floor, where their classrooms were. As it lifted off, Izuku groaned, causing the three girls to look at him.

"What's wrong, Deku-kun?" Ochaco asked.

"I just realized something – Bakugo will likely be in the same class as me," He replied, looking up in annoyance. "This is going to be a long semester."

"Don't worry about him. Just ignore the guy, he's not worth the effort or the time," Itsuka told him, patting him on the shoulder for reassurance.

"I hope so," Izuku muttered as the door finally opened, showing that their classes were in different directions.

"See you later, Izu-kun," Itsuka said, hugging him tightly. Behind his back, Itsuka flared a victorious smile at Momo and Ochaco, who huffed in jealousy before she released him, going her way while the other three went theirs.

Opening the door to classroom 1-A, Izuku rolled his eyes and shook his head in disappointment at the sight within: Momo and Ochaco peered over his shoulders to see what was going on.

"Don't put your feet on the desk! That's disrespectful!"

"I can do what I fucking want, Four Eyes! What kind of middle school are you from, huh?"

It was, obviously, Bakugo sitting on a chair, his feet on the desk like he cared for nothing in the world, while Tenya reamed him off for his actions.

"My name is Iida Tenya, and I'm from Soumei Junior High School!" Tenya replied, standing stiffly.

"Soumei, huh?" Katsuki replied, putting his feet off the desk and leaning forward with a savage grin. "Seems like I've got a reason to fucking kill you after all, elitist know-it-all!"

"A reason to kill me?" Tenya flinched back, a horrified expression in his face as he looked at Katsuki. "You threaten my life and yet you have the gall to claim wanting to be a hero?"

Momo and Ochaco did an impressive coordinated facepalm at watching the scene.

"I can see what you meant earlier, Izuku-kun," Momo sighed. Tenya seemed to have heard her, because he looked at them and walked over to their group.

"I am glad to see you all made it!" He said.

"Yeah. I'm guessing that having to experience Bakugo first hand was not fun, wasn't it?"

"Indeed! He is truly an unpleasant person to talk to or being around!" The bespectacled boy remarked.

"As always, Tenya-san..." Izuku muttered quietly.

That was the moment Bakugo turned to glare at his former friend, with hatred he had never felt before as his hands started to smoke. He had believed himself to be at the top of the candidates, only to find out that not only had Deku ranked number one with more than twice his points, but so had the guy that had tried to order him around. Ever since he learned that, he had become livid that, even after everything he had done, Deku had not only been unfazed by it, but he continued to ignore him.

_'Just you wait! I'm going to fucking kill you, Deku!'_ He thought as he watched him talk to the glasses boy and two girls who were pretty but clearly extras that stuck to Deku's ass for whatever reason.

Izuku's talk with his friends was interrupted when the door opened.

"This is not a place to socialize and find buddies..." The newcomer, a black-haired man with half-lidded eyes that seemed to be encased in a yellow sleeping bag said, as he pulled a juice pouch from within his sleeping bag. "This is the course of heroes!"

The man drank the entire pouch in one epic go before getting out of the sleeping bag, showing his ragged black outfit, dark boots, utility belt and scarf, and he walked behind his desk. Immediately, everyone took to their seats, figuring this had to be their homeroom teacher.

_'Who is this guy?'_ Izuku wondered, trying to think which of the hundreds of heroes he knew fit with the man's description.

"Eight seconds. That's how long it took you lot to settle down from the moment I arrived. Life is short, and you kids are irrational enough as it is," He said, and everyone felt an eyebrow involuntarily rise as the man kept talking.

"I am Aizawa Shota, your homeroom teacher." The teacher pulled out a blue and white PE uniform from his sleeping bag. Everyone wondered where that had been, but no one was brave enough to ask. "Put on your PE uniforms and go to the sports field."

The students could only think one thing.

_'What?'_

* * *

Toshinori was taking the time to study the files of the forty students he was going to be teaching classes for, making notes about all of them, before looking over Izuku's file and checking who was his homeroom teacher.

As soon as he did, he pinched the bridge of his nose in displeasure.

"They have Aizawa-san. Are they in for a rude awakening," He muttered. Aizawa and he had never been in the best of terms, and he knew of his incredibly strict ways. "Let's hope Midoriya-san doesn't have to use One for All too much..."

* * *

Soon, all of Class 1-A had followed their teacher's order, and they were in the sports field, a place so large that could cover several football fields. Izuku decided to make some stretches, ignoring how the females in his class were gazing at him, especially Momo and Ochaco, who took note of the other girls, feeling that the 'competition' might rise if they were not careful.

"I guess that we're going to do a test to measure our Quirks?" Izuku wondered aloud, still stretching. "And so early in the year. Strange..."

"But... what about the initiation ceremony? Or the meeting with the guidance counselor?" Ochaco asked in a quiet tone, struggling not to show too much interest in Izuku's muscles.

"If all of you want to be heroes, then the time spent in such events would be a waste," Aizawa said, looking over his shoulder. "U.A. gives us teachers the freedom to do whatever we deem necessary, and I believe that the sooner you do this, the better."

Turning around, Aizawa faced his pupils, most of whom felt a shiver going down their spines: this was someone who did not tolerate fools at all.

"Today, all of you will undergo eight activities that you have done in middle school, but this time you will be using your Quirks, so you can test out your actual performance level," He explained, looking over the group of students before settling on Izuku.

"Midoriya. What was your record in softball pitch?" He asked.

"Ninety-seven meters, sensei," Izuku replied, ignoring Katsuki's growl: that had been quite the bad shock for him, when he lost that 'competition' by more than five meters.

Aizawa nodded and pulled a softball out of a bag he had with him, tossing it to Izuku.

"Stand in that circle and throw it as far as you can, but using your Quirk this time. As long as you don't exit the circle, you can do whatever you want. Don't hold back," He ordered. Izuku checked with his eyes to note their teacher was quite sure about it, and he resigned himself as Aizawa held a tablet to measure.

"Well, let's do this..." Izuku took a deep breath, entered the circle and his right arm began to glow yellow green from the shoulder to the tip of his fingers, causing most of his classmates to watch in awe.

"What is that glowing stuff on his arm?" A spiky red-haired boy asked, looking intently at Izuku. "That looks awesome!"

"That would be Help, one of his Quirk's aspects," Momo explained, smiling as she took in her friend. "It allows him to augment or heal himself and others, as well as weaken anyone."

"Really? That looks really interesting..." One of the girls, the one with jack-like earlobes, commented.

"Wait, you said it's an aspect," A short cute girl that resembled a frog interrupted, putting a finger under her chin in reflection. "Does that mean there is more to his Quirk than that?"

"Yes, there is. I think I'll let him explain later, since he knows it all much better than I do, but from what he has told me, his Quirk, which he calls 'Superpower', is in my opinion one of the strongest Quirks I have ever heard about," She admitted.

"Wow! If it is that powerful, it's got to be the coolest Quirk I've ever seen before!" A blond-haired guy with a black lightning mark on his hair exclaimed.

Katsuki's eyebrows twitched as he heard his classmates talk. No matter what, he refused to believe that Deku's Quirk was the strongest.

Izuku was ready, and he pulled everything in. Red veins and green lightning flowed over his right arm, combining with the already present energy, and as he pulled his hand back Aizawa could actually smell ozone. Then Izuku threw the ball, and broke the sound barrier.

The shockwave created by the ball's absurdly high speed was big enough to throw a large dust cloud over his classmates and teacher, who were left temporarily deafened from the explosion.

When the dust settled down and their ears stopped ringing, they looked up to see Izuku standing still within the circle, the ground completely bereft of dust and a smoking yet still fine-looking arm.

Aizawa looked down at the tablet, to see how far the ball had landed, and he felt his eyebrow lifting in surprise.

_2077.5 meters._

"That's so awesome! I wanna try it!" The girl with pink hair and skin declared, grinning with excitement as Izuku rolled his arm and dispersed some more yellow energy on it.

"That's insane!" The blond-haired boy said.

"What in the..." The red-haired boy muttered.

"It looks fun, you say?" Aizawa asked, gazing at the girl with an intimidating expression he then turned to the rest. "So, were you planning to spend your three years here having 'fun'? What happened to becoming heroes?"

The students went silent as they felt like a waterfall of cold water fell on their backs.

"Fine then," Aizawa said. "Since that's the way it will be, I have a new rule. Whoever comes in last place at the end of the day will be judged as 'hopeless' and instantly expelled from the Hero Course."

Izuku, returning to the group, raised an eyebrow and looked at Momo, who rolled her eyes at the supposed 'rule'. After being tricked in the Entrance Exam, he was not sure if the teacher could actually do as he said. The others believed he might, though, judging by their expressions.

"So... a-anyone who ranks last... gets e-expelled?" A short boy with grape-like hair muttered, scared out of his mind.

"You can't do that, this is just our first day here!" Ochaco protested, drawing Aizawa's attention.

"I can't, you say? The freedom granted to us allows me to do whatever I consider necessary to the students..." He said, pushing his hair back a bit to reveal a mocking expression in his face. "If you were thinking of having a friendly chat at a local cafe after school, that's too bad. It's a hero's job to protect the peace without failure. From now on, and for the next three years, all you can expect from your life at U.A. is one hardship after the other. You will learn the meaning of going Plus Ultra every day. I expect you to overcome this and climb to the top. Welcome to U.A. High's Hero Course!"

Finally, Izuku realized who their teacher was.

_'He is Eraserhead!'_ He thought.

The teacher's words of 'encouragement' seemed to bring out determination out of almost everyone in the classroom, save for the grape-haired boy. Katsuki's savage smile was directed at Izuku, who paid him no mind at all.

Seeing he had succeeded in lighting a fire under the students' asses, Aizawa smirked.

"So, let's begin and kick it up a notch, alright?"

* * *

The first test was the Fifty-Meter Dash, Aizawa pairing them to compete in a race. Two by two, they completed the test using their Quirks, from Tenya's respectable 3.04 seconds to the grape-haired boy – named Minoru Mineta – doing it in 9.17 seconds. Katsuki's rime had been 4.05 seconds thanks to the propulsion given by his Explosion Quirk – and then Izuku left them all in the dust, combining Superpower and One for All to finish the race in 2.54 seconds, much to Katsuk's ire.

Next came Grip Strength, measured by taking a device and producing as much strength as possible with the hands and arms: a boy with multiple arms managed to produce a strength of 540 kilograms, only to be shocked as Izuku produced the equivalent to 810 kilograms with his Quirk.

The Standing Long Jump clearly favored those like Ochaco or the frog-like girl who could easily reach long distances with only one movement. The following, Repeated Side Steps, was the one time so far in which Mineta managed to shine, as he used his Quirk, which allowed him to produce sticky balls he could bounce off from, to quickly move side to side without having to actually move much.

Ball Throw went next, and since Izuku had already done it Aizawa had him sit it out. Katsuki, even though he was using a full blast of Explosion, barely managed to surpass the half-mark of what Izuku had managed. Only Ochaco could surpass Izuku in here, as she used her Quirk on the ball before throwing it: according to Aizawa's tablet, it had reached 'infinity' meters, which Izuku took for it to have reached or escaped Earth's orbit.

Sixth in the list was Sit Ups, with once more Izuku edging out Katsuki by doing ten more sit ups before giving up. Then Seated Toe-Touch, with the pink haired girl proving herself as the most flexible of the group, which she claimed was thanks to her training as a dancer. And, finally, a long-distance run, where Izuku managed to come in a close third behind Momo and Tenya, adding to Katsuki's increasing frustration.

With the tests completed, everyone decided they had earned a good rest by sitting on the ground, save for Izuku who was doing some stretching, as Aizawa looked at his tablet.

"Your rank will be based on comparing your results to pre-established benchmarks. Since reciting your scores would be irrational, I will just show you the results."

Touching the pad, Aizawa manipulated something, and a hologram began to show above the tablet, listing the rankings.

**1\. Midoriya Izuku**

**2\. Yaoyorozu Momo**

**3\. Todoroki Shoto**

**4\. Bakugo Katsuki**

**5\. Tenya Iida**

**6\. Tokoyami Fumikage**

**7\. Shoji Mezo**

**8\. Ojiro Mashirao**

**9\. Kirishima Eijiro**

**10\. Ashido Mina**

**11\. Uraraka Ochaco**

**12\. Koda Koji**

**13\. Sato Rikido**

**14\. Asui Tsuyu**

**15\. Aoyama Yuga**

**16\. Sero Hanta**

**17\. Kaminari Denki**

**18\. Jiro Kyoka**

**19\. Hagakure Toru**

**20\. Mineta Minoru**

No one was surprised to see that Izuku had earned the first place of the group, but they all looked to Mineta with pity, as the boy was now completely colorless.

"And that will be all for today. You will find your curriculum sheets back in the classroom, take one and give them a do-over. Oh, and..." Aizawa turned to Mineta, now sweating bullets and shaking in fear. "Minoru Mineta, you are hereby expelled from the Hero Course. Feel free to keep the uniform, but pack your things. You may try your luck in the General Studies Course, if you want, but as of today you are outta here."

"W-W-What?" Mineta exclaimed. Momo and Izuku looked shocked at Aizawa, because this time the threat seemed to be for real. "Are you s-s-serious?"

"Yes," Aizawa bluntly answered. "I mean it. Had you proven to have enough potential, I might have overlooked the fact that you came in dead last in nearly all the tests, but as far as I can see you don't even have the potential of being a student in this course. Never mind that I know you don't have the best of motivations for being here: the fact that your records show a pattern of being accused of sexual harassment of girls and women in the past years doesn't help your case."

The girls, who had been sympathetic towards their classmate, suddenly lost any sympathy they had for him at the last reveal. Mineta slumped as his dreams to become a hero had just been coldly crushed by his teacher, and walked away from the field in order to get his things back. Once he did, Aizawa looked to the rest of the class.

"The empty spot will be taken up by someone in the following days. You will know of it soon. Now, go back to your classroom."

Katsuki gritted his teeth in anger as he gave a murderous glare at Deku and those two girls from earlier.

_'I got fucking fourth place? Okay, Deku's got that absurdly insane Quirk of his, but how did I lose to that ponytail bitch and Half-and-half?'_ He thought, glaring first at Momo and then at Todoroki Shoto, a boy who stood out because of his red and white hair and the burn scar on his left eye – and who was also looking at Izuku rather intently. Turning his glare back at Izuku, he felt his rage rise. _'Don't you dare look down at me, Deku!'_

* * *

**"Aizawa!"**

Class 1-A's homeroom teacher sighed as he found himself face to face with All Might. Keeping a bored expression as he looked at him, Aizawa hoped he would leave him alone soon.

"Oh, it's you, All Might. I guess you were watching, huh?"

All Might ignored him.

**"I see that you expelled just one student this time! Last year, you expelled an entire class! You kick kids out without a moment's hesitation if you judge them as having 'zero chances'. Could it be because..." **All Might's grin turned even more epic than usual as he leaned forward and pointed at Aizawa as if his hand were a gun,** "that you felt Midoriya-kun's potential?"**

Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

"So, you know Midoriya, then? I should have realized it, he reminded me of you for some obvious reasons. Your need for flashy performances must have rubbed in on him."

**"Thank you!" **All Might said with a grin.

"That wasn't a compliment, I assure you," Aizawa replied before sighing and shrugging. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say you had a hand in training the boy – he's too similar to you in behavior for it not to be the case. As such, it should be obvious that, by this point, he already has the physical capabilities of a Pro Hero, but his age and lack of experience and maturity are getting in the way of that. Besides that, everyone else in that class has a chance above zero, and if anyone's marks drop below what they have right now I can always expel them."

All Might put a fist on his waist and wiggled a finger in Aizawa's direction.

**"Just as I thought... you and I will never get along."**

Aizawa just shrugged, unconcerned, before he continued to walk away, hands in his pockets and a slouched posture.

* * *

With the Quirk Apprehension test done with, everyone had returned to the lockers in order to change back into their uniforms and go back to whatever they had planned. Izuku had just finished getting dressed up when he saw Mineta through the corner of his right eye, slowly getting his things out of his locker, clearly depressed. Deciding that the boy needed a morale boost, he walked up to him.

"Hey," He said, and Mineta turned around.

"What do you want?" The shorter boy asked bitterly.

"Calm down, Mineta, I just wanted to talk with-"

"What is there to talk about? I bet you just want to rub it in since you got first place-" Mineta accused him, before Izuku put a hand in front of him to stop him.

"No. I just came here to give you some word of advice. Look, I know it is really bad, and if it were me I would probably act like you are, but you can still be a hero. Like Aizawa-sensei said, you still have a chance by getting into the General Studies course."

"But, how will that help? Aren't those students there just hoping to make it as sidekicks at best?" Mineta asked in confusion.

"No, or at least you shouldn't consider it a bad thing. For example, the Sports Festival is going to happen in a month or so, if I am not mistaken. If you manage to make an impact there, you can earn your spot in the Hero Course back," Izuku replied, causing Mineta to have a hopeful look on his face. "But that means you will have to work a lot harder on your way up. And... if what Aizawa-sensei said was right... you should really clean up your act. I really doubt people will welcome you being a pervert while trying to be a hero. A good motivation is important, and if you can find one that is better than stuff like popularity, then you will be all the better for it."

"Work harder..." Mineta thought aloud, before smiling at Izuku. "T-Thanks for the advice, I'll think about it. Good luck, Midoriya."

"The same to you, Mineta," Izuku replied, satisfied, as he nodded at him before leaving the locker room.

* * *

Class 1-A had finally been let out for the day, and Izuku was now leaving U.A.'s campus along with Momo, Ochaco and Tenya.

"I honestly thought that Aizawa-sensei wouldn't end up going through with his threat," Izuku remarked, "not after what happened in the Entrance Exam."

"Well, at least he expelled a guy who is a real sex offender instead of someone like Hagakure or Koda. I really don't want to imagine having to be three years trying to fend him off," Momo said as she looked up something on her smartphone. "Also, this isn't the first time Aizawa-sensei has done this kind of thing: last year, he expelled the entire class."

The other three looked at her astonished, and she showed them the proof in form of a news article relating the incident that had happened a year before.

"Wow, our homeroom teacher is really strict," Ochaco said, gulping.

"Well, then, I guess I'm lucky that I don't have him as my homeroom teacher," Someone else said, and the four teenagers turned to the speaker: it was Itsuka, now accompanied by two girls, one with short black hair and the other with long dark green hair.

"So, I heard a student was expelled for coming in last place in the Apprehension Test," The black haired girl said with a straight face.

"Yeah, and I also heard he was kicked out because he is a pervert that was already caught by the police several times!" The other girl exclaimed, smirking.

Izuku blinked at the newcomers.

"Who are you two?" He asked.

"Kodai Yui," The first girl said, her expression unchanging.

"I am Tokage Setsuna!" The second replied, stopping only when she got a bit too close for Izuku's peace of mind. "I heard from Itsuka that you love Godzilla!"

"Yes, I do, I love Tokusatsu in general..." Izuku replied, weirded out by the girl's attitude.

"Awesome! I also love Godzilla and Gamera!" Setsuna replied, still way-too-close to Izuku's face before Itsuka rolled her eyes and pulled her back from her collar.

"Sorry about that, Izu-kun, Setsuna can be quite chatty when excited," Itsuka said with a smile.

"So, Itsuka-chan, do you have any recommendation students in Class 1-B?" Momo asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"Yup! You're looking at her right here!" Setsuna said, pointing at herself.

"There's also Honenuki Juzo to consider in that category," Yui calmly pointed out. Setsuna shrugged before turning back to Izuku.

"Oh! I also heard you had a really powerful Quirk! Oh, I wish you had been assigned to our class!" Setsuna lamented. Momo and Ochaco glared at the girl that dared make a pass at the boy they liked, while Itsuka made a coy smile. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Izuku! I hope we can talk more about Godzilla soon, bye!"

Setsuna headed off to catch her bus, having completely ignored Momo, Ochaco and Tenya, all of whom were left with a flat expression on their faces. Izuku rubbed the back of his head.

"That turned out to be very weird, but she does seem to be a nice girl," He said.

"I need to get going as well. I'll see you tomorrow." Yui took off for her own bus, waving the group goodbye.

"I guess we should go back home, then," Ochaco said, and everyone nodded in agreement, saying their goodbyes before going their separate ways back home.

Tomorrow would be a new day for them at U.A. High...

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Continuing Universe Theme_ from _River City Melee_ between Class 1-A arriving to the sports field and Izuku throwing the softball. _Youth Running Ahead_ from _River City Melee_ during the tests themselves.**

**Me: And we're done here. As you can see I'm getting rid of Mineta, but he'll be back a different man! Setsuna is a Kaiju fan! Izuku shows off his thing the Apprehension test! Katsuki continues to be a stubborn jerk!**

**So please review, fave, follow, or all of the above. But NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! Unless it's criticism which is very fine. Also I will not accept Guest Reviews as I will delete them, so have a real account to do the review.**

**The next chapter will be on the Battle Trial arc. ****Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	4. Battle Trial

**Me: Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! now we are on to the Battle Trial where I think most of you are looking forward to seeing. So without further ado let's begin.**

**Milarqui: And here I am, still fixing the time tenses and catching the little details that were out of place.**

**Chapter 4: Battle Trial**

* * *

It was their second day in U.A. High, but today Izuku had chosen to come earlier because there was someone he wanted to speak with.

Walking along the hallways, he looked to both sides until he found the room with the medical cross sign that marked where the school infirmary was. Entering the room, he was met with Recovery Girl, sitting behind her desk on a rolling chair, checking something on her computer. The elder heroine turned her eyes when she noticed someone had entered.

"Oh, hello there, lad. Do you have some health problem?" The short woman asked, smiling.

"No. I just wondered... you are Recovery Girl, right?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Well, unless someone else took up that name while I was not looking, yes, I am Recovery Girl. What is it that you need, lad?"

"I would like to ask you if you could help me work on the Support aspect of my Quirk?"

Recovery Girl raised an eyebrow.

"Is that what you used to heal the young girl during the Exam? It does seem that it is quite powerful already, if it can heal a broken ankle so easily."

"Yes, but I know there are a lot of things I don't know, and if I can learn something to improve the healing capacity of my Quirk, then I ought to."

"Hmm..." Recovery Girl muttered, placing a hand on her chin. "I'll think about that, lad. Perhaps I ought to talk with your teacher about this. But, right now, you need to get to your class."

"Alright, thank you for considering it, bye!" Izuku said, leaving the room. As soon as he was out of sight, Recovery Girl went to her computer and opened a video.

_'I've never had someone to teach before, so this should be interesting. That boy sure is something...'_ Shuzenji Chiyo thought, watching the few seconds where the boy that had just left her office used his Quirk to heal his fellow candidate's ankle.

* * *

Luck held, and Izuku managed to arrive to his classroom shortly before the bell rang, crossing Itsuka on the way as she entered her classroom.

Within Class 1-A, Izuku noted that most of them were talking to each other – even Bakugo seemed to be holding something akin to a civil conversation with the red-haired guy, Kirishima – and some of them were still somewhat shaken up about Mineta's expulsion, although the girls in general seemed to be glad he had been expelled before he could actually start to act like a pervert around them.

The one person that stood out, though, was a boy that was sitting at the corner, not talking with anyone. Tall, with messy indigo hair flaring in large tufts and dark purple eyes with heavy eyebags underneath, he was someone Izuku had never seen.

_'This must be the new student Aizawa-sensei mentioned would take Mineta's spot,'_ Izuku wondered. The mysterious student seemed to notice that he was being observed, for he turned to look at Izuku as he walked to join his friends.

"Have you met the new student?" Izuku asked the others.

"No, not yet," Ochaco commented. "I don't know about you, but there is something about him that makes me feel uneasy. I know it isn't nice to think like that, but it might be his Quirk."

"I wonder what it is. It must be powerful if Aizawa-sensei brought him to replace Mineta," Momo noted.

"Who knows. Maybe we will learn about it later in class," Tenya sensibly pointed out, adjusting his glasses.

Elsewhere in the room, Katsuki was ignoring Kirishima's prattling to scowl at Deku and his friends, leaning back on his chair. For him, the fact that his childhood friend had surpassed him in such a way was a very painful strike to his pride, and his mind was consumed by the idea that he had to put Deku back into his place, to ensure that he, Bakugo Katsuki, would be the 'only' number one hero.

The door opened, revealing Aizawa entering, and all the students went quiet and sat down in their seats, just as the bell rang. As he closed the door behind himself and walked to his desk, Aizawa looked at the class with his usual bored expression.

"Hmm. Today, it only took you four seconds to settle down and take your seats. Looks like all of you are finally learning to be more rational. Good."

Nearly everyone had to resist the need to palm their face.

"Now, since we didn't have time for it yesterday, due to your irrationality," Aizawa continued, unaware or uncaring of his pupils' opinion, "we'll be using today's homeroom session to allow you to introduce yourselves."

This time, everyone except the newly transferred student shared the same opinion, if only in mind.

_'That was because you insisted in doing the test, sensei!'_

"You will stand up next to your seat, state your name, the name of your Quirk and what it does and a fact about yourselves. This is done so all of you will get to know each other and learn together as a class," He said, apparently not caring much about it before he sat down and pointed to the first student on his right. "You start. Then the girl behind you, and going on from there."

The blond teen with sparkling eyes stood up with an exaggerated flourish, and posed as if he were participating in a drama play.

"Bonjour, je m'appelle Aoyama Yuga! My Quirk is Navel Laser, and it obviously allows me to fire laser beams from my navel. I also like... myself! The pleasure is all yours!" With a second flourish and an over the top wink, Yuga sat down, while the others chose not to comment on how overdramatic his introduction was. Meanwhile, Izuku had grabbed a notebook and written down the names of his classmate and his classmate's Quirk, as well as some initial analysis on what it did, making sure not to mutter so nobody could hear him.

_'Okay, he shoots lasers from his navel, I think I saw him during the exam. Could he fire the laser from somewhere else?'_ Izuku thought.

The pink-haired girl that had beaten them all at Seated Toe touching stood up and flashed them a mischievous grin.

"Alright, it's my turn! The name's Ashido Mina, and my Quirk is called Acid, because I can secrete a corrosive acid through my skin, and I can control its concentration and viscosity! It's also the reason why I look like this! Oh, and I like break dancing, natto and okra! Pleased to meet you all!" She said, giving them all a double peace sign before sitting back.

_'Well, she's full of energy! She could be an extremely dangerous close-combat fighter if she could coat her entire body with her acid. And, if she could shoot the acid from a distance, then she could be a very formidable opponent, period, although who knows if that's possible, though.'_

"My name is Asui Tsuyu," The frog-like girl stated after standing up with a calm expression. "My Quirk is called Frog, and it allows me to do anything a frog can do, like hopping long distances, sticking to walls or shooting my tongue. I like rain and jelly. Please, take care of me," She told them before taking her seat again.

_'Asui's Quirk seems to be quite balanced. She can use her tongue to reach an enemy that is far away or get closer and kick them into submission,'_ Izuku thought, smiling as he wrote. Then came Tenya's turn, and he stood up and bowed stiffly.

"My name is Iida Tenya! My Quirk is Engine, and it gives me a set of engines located inside my calves that allow me to reach high speeds and mobility depending on the gear! I like studying and beefstew! I hope we can all have a great stay here at the distinguished facilities of U.A.!" After another bow, Tenya took his seat back.

_'As diligent and dedicated as ever, I see,'_ Izuku thought with amusement, and when he looked at the girls he saw Momo was giggling behind her hand, while Ochaco was trying hard not to burst out laughing. _'Either way, his Quirk is quite formidable. If he can go as fast as his brother, he will be a difficult opponent to hit.'_

From her seat behind Tenya, Ochaco stood up, happily smiling at everyone.

"My name is Uraraka Ochaco! My Quirk is called Zero Gravity, and it allows me to make objects weightless by touching them with my hands, so I can make things float. I like the starry sky and love mochi. Please, let's get along!" She chirped before taking her seat back.

_'Gravity manipulation... I'm guessing she must have some sort of limitation, perhaps to mass or size, but it is still really powerful – one touch and the object can be moved easily. Maybe she could do more than that with training?'_

The next in line was another blond teen, this one with small black eyes, a thick tail with a hairy end and a calm disposition.

"I am known as Ojiro Mashirao. My Quirk is Tail, and it gives me this prehensile tail that I can use as a third arm or leg. I like to practice martial arts. Thank you for listening," he greeted with a formal bow.

_'Martial arts?'_ Izuku thought, perking up. _'I have been thinking about finding someone to spar with me, maybe he'll be willing – with that Quirk of his, fighting with him in close combat would make him a really tough opponent.'_

After Mashirao came yet another blond teen, the one that had commented on Izuku's Quirk the previous day, and he smiled while pointing at himself with both thumbs.

"The name is Kaminari Denki! My Quirk is Electrification, and I can emit electricity from anywhere in my body! I like fast food and trendy things!" He said, winking at the girls before taking his seat. The girls had a mixed reaction to this behavior, but they figured that he probably was better than Mineta anyway.

_'At least I'm not the only one with an overpowered Quirk. His power could make him quite effective anywhere up to medium ranged combat,'_ Izuku thought with interest as he kept taking notes for his 'database'.

The spiky red-haired teen stood up next, and Izuku noticed he had a small scar above his right eye, and for some reason his teeth were quite pointed. In spite of that, he gave a friendly, boisterous smile as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"I am Kirishima Eijiro! My Quirk, Hardening, lets me harden and sharpen any part of my body, giving me greater strength and durability! I like meat, manly things and Crimson Riot, the manliest hero in Japan!"

_'Just like me, he admires a particular Pro Hero. Huh, interesting.'_

From behind Eijiro stood a tall, muscular teen whose head was shaped like a pointy rock. Timidly standing up, with shoulders a bit hunched, he started to write on a small whiteboard he was carrying with him, showing them its contents.

_"My name is Koda Koji. My Quirk is Anivoice, and I can speak with and command any animal I see when I speak to it. I own a pet rabbit and like nature. Forgive me for the inconvenience."_ When he was sure everyone had read its contents, he sat down again.

_'Not much of a talker, is he? Still, a Quirk that allows him to control animals could let him learn anything from anywhere, just by talking to any animal he can see.'_

From behind Koda came a tall, muscular teen with spiky brown hair and quite thick lips, curved in a friendly smile.

"My name is Sato Rikido, My Quirk's name is Sugar Rush, and I can increase my strength five-fold for three minutes by consuming ten grams of sugar. I am quite good at making anything sweet and my favorite food is cake. Nice to meet you all."

_'A strength enhancement Quirk based on how much sugar he consumes? Seems interesting, but somewhat impractical unless he is always carrying enough sugar around.'_

At the head of the next column was the tallest boy in the class, who had silver hair and wore a facemask and a special uniform to account for the extra arms he had.

"I am Shoji Mezo. My Quirk is Dupli-Arms, and not only can I use them as extra arms, but they can also imitate other parts of my body, such as my ears or my mouth. My favorite foods are takoyaki and squid ink pasta." Much to everyone's nerves, he spoke through the end of one of his arms thanks to an extra mouth.

_'That's a versatile Quirk he has, even if it is quite spooky. Extra strength, and I am sure that he can be a great spotter with extra ears or eyes.'_

After Shoji was a slender girl with purplish hair and triangular-shaped, onyx-colored eyes. The most peculiar feature were her earphone plug-like earlobes.

"Name's Jirou Kyoka. My Quirk is Earphone Jack, and I can plug the jacks into solid things, both for listening in on sounds transmitted into them and to channel the sound of my heartbeat through them. Also, they are way tougher than they look. And I hate perverts," She said, giving a warning glare at Denki, who had certainly earned her dislike.

_'A snarker, pervert hater and she has the air of a rocker girl. That Quirk of hers sounds very good for locating people, and who knows what she can do offensively.'_

The next in line was a tall boy with a lean physique, almond-shaped eyes and a friendly grin that displayed his large teeth.

"Yo! The name is Sero Hanta! My Quirk is Tape, and I can shoot cellophane tape-like material from my elbows, as well as retract it, but the tape is as strong as steel, so you should really not undersestimate it! I like oranges, soybeans and other healthy foods! I hope I can get along with all of you!"

_'His Quirk would be able to capture anything or anyone, and if he is strong enough it could be even used to pull himself up a building. I wonder how great is the tape's tensile strength,'_ Izuku wondered.

Next was another boy, this one with a bird-shaped head, while the rest of his body was human.

"I am Tokoyami Fumikage. My Quirk, called Dark Shadow, is actually a sentient shadow beast I am a host for. I can materialize it from my body, as well as bring it back into myself, freely. Dark Shadow's strength depends on the amount of light in my surroundings. I am partial to apples and dark places. Thank you very much."

_'A sentient Quirk? That's really rare, and it could be really powerful if well used! Maybe it is mostly empowered when in the dark, but probably one of the most versatile Quirks I've seen here!'_

After that was the boy that had come in third in the Apprehension Test: with his bi-colored hair, his heterochromia and the burn scar over his left eye, he stood out in the crowd.

"I'm Todoroki Shoto. My Quirk is called Half-Cold, Half-Hot. I can generate ice from my right side and fire from my left side. I enjoy Zaru Soba," He greeted, aloof and cold, before he took his seat back.

_'Another elemental Quirk, but this one has aspects like mine,'_ Izuku thought, impressed, _'not to mention it looks quite powerful. And... Todoroki? Where have I heard that name?'_

Afterwards it was the turn of the invisible girl, who they could only see thanks to the uniform clinging to her form as she gave an excited little jump and waved at everyone.

"My name is Hagakure Tooru. My Quirk is Invisibility, which, as you can see, or not, hehe, makes me completely invisible. I like shopping, plushies and cute things. Please, take care of me!"

_'She is an invisible Ochaco!'_ Izuku mentally chuckled. _'Invisibility is an useful Quirk, and even if it doesn't have any direct combat applications she shouldn't be underestimated – she might be a surprise later on!'_

Now it was Bakugo's turn, and he stood up with a scowl on his face, hands in his pockets, almost like he did not give a damn about everyone else, looking a lot like a delinquent.

"My name is Bakugo Katsuki. My Quirk is Explosion, and it allows me to sweat nitroglycerin from the palms of my hands, which I can detonate at will. Meaning that I can make you all explode until you are dead if you piss me off! I like spicy food and mountain climbing! And I hate losing!"

_'Typical Bakugo,'_ Izuku thought, rolling his eyes in annoyance, not bothering to write anything about him since he had already analyzed Bakugo's Quirk before. _'It's only a matter of time before someone knocks some humility through his thick skull.'_

It was Izuku's turn now, as he mentally lamented not being able to pick their own seats, but nonetheless put an earnest expression on his face.

"Hello, everyone! I am Midoriya Izuku. My Quirk is Superpower, and it has three aspects I can use at any moment: Attack lets me shape energy to damage anything I use it on, Block allows me to create barriers and reflect attacks, and Help is useful for augmenting and healing not only myself, but others around me. I love Tokusatsu fiction and katsudon! A pleasure to meet all of you, and I hope we can get along!" With a bow, he finished and took his seat back.

While Bakugo's glare was not surprising, he did notice he had garnered some positive interest from the rest of his classmates, which was quite nice, since he did hope to become friends with all of them.

It was the moment for the newest student.

"Hello, I'm Shinso Hitoshi. My Quirk, Brainwash, allows me to mentally control anybody who verbally responds to me, and it allows me to give them short orders they have to follow. I like cats and bicycling. That's all." He immediately sat down.

_'So, that's his name. His Quirk is really interesting and powerful, and if he can control more than one person at a time quite dangerous. But it has a lot of potential for hero work.'_

It was finally Momo's turn, and Izuku realized that they had been placed in their seats following the alphabetical order of their surnames, making him almost facepalm at the realization.

"I am Yaoyorozu Momo. My Quirk is called Creation, and I can create non-living matter in any form I want through the molecular manipulation of my fat cells. I enjoy reading all sorts of things, especially illustrated encyclopedias. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She bowed and returned to her seat, not before throwing a wink at Izuku, who blushed in response, causing Ochaco to huff in jealousy.

_'Well, these are going to be my classmates for the next three years. Might as well consider their powers...'_

* * *

The day went by in their second morning at U.A. Class 1-A had Present Mic as their English teacher in their second period, while third period was for Modern Literature with Cementoss. Lunch time rolled around at noon, and everybody headed to the canteen.

Lunch itself looked surprisingly good even though it was dirt cheap, which Izuku attributed to it being made by the Pro Hero Lunch Rush, before he took a seat in a table with Momo, Ochaco and Tenya, where Itsuka, Yui and Setsuna joining up with them.

"So, I take it class went smoothly for you guys?" Itsuka asked with a smirk. Izuku shrugged.

"It went better than I thought it would. I mean, I got to list down all of my classmates' Quirks in my notebook, and all of them are very interesting, to say the least."

"And we also have a new classmate to replace the one that was expelled yesterday, a boy called Shinso Hitoshi," Momo mentioned.

"His Quirk makes it so that, when someone responds to him, he can control their actions," Tenya explained.

"I see. That is good to know," Yui replied, still with a straight face.

"Hey, talking about Quirks, I wanna know about your Quirk, Izuku-kun! What does it do? What do you call it?" Setsuna said, grinning, as she looked at the green-haired boy. Izuku instinctively backed away, trying to get used to Setsuna being so close to him.

"It's... called Superpower, and I can use three types of energy, each with different abilities," He explained.

"Oooh, that's so cool! My Quirk is Lizard Tail Splitter, and I can split up my body up to fifty times, while still controlling all of my body!"

"Huh, that's a very versatile Quirk you got there, Tokage-chan," Izuku commented with a smile.

"Thanks! You can call me Setsuna, Izuku-kun! Say, do you want to watch some Godzilla with me later?" She asked, grinning.

The sound of a fork falling to the floor could be heard above the sudden silence that had fallen around the table. Itsuka, Momo and Ochaco felt their jaws drop as Setsuna just boldly asked Izuku if he wanted to hang out with her even though he had only met him the previous day. Tenya's eyebrows flew up in surprise for the same reason, while Yui remained impassive.

"Woah," Izuku said, blinking and staring at her. "Sure, maybe one day we can meet and watch, Setsuna-chan..."

Setsuna nodded with a smile and went back to to her meal, while Itsuka felt uncomfortable with the silence, so she decided to change the subject.

"So, I heard that there's a new Foundational Hero Studies teacher, and you guys are going to have him before we do," She said, and Izuku stopped eating.

"Really? I didn't know."

_'Could it be him?'_ He thought.

* * *

After several more classes, Class 1-A was finally ready for the last class of the day, the class they had been expecting for so long: their first Heroics class.

"**HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**"

That laugh was so familiar that pretty much everyone perked up in excitement, in response to hearing it.

_'Yeah, I was right,'_ Izuku thought.

"**I AM... coming through the door like a normal person!**" All Might said, wearing his trademark costume with a red cape, as he opened the door to the classroom dramatically. Izuku contained his reaction to palm his face.

_'Seriously?'_

All might merrily marched to the desk, his cape somehow billowing even though there was no windflow indoors.

"Wow, I can't believe it, it's All Might!" Kaminari exclaimed, excited.

"All Might is really going to teach us!" Kirishima asked with a grin on his face.

"That's his Silver Age costume, right?" Asui commented, also excited even though she was not actually showing it.

"The art style is so different from anything it's giving me goosebumps," Ojiro said, shivering as a beat of sweat rolled down his cheek.

All Might now stood in front of the desk, everyone's gaze pointed to him as he posed for a moment, his back towards them.

"**I am the Foundational Heroic Studies Teacher, All Might! I will be teaching you Hero Basic Training, and we will spend the semester building up your foundations through various trials! This class is the most important in your curriculum, as well as having the most units in your courses!**"

Everybody, including Izuku, was paying attention to everything coming out of All Might's mouth, expecting to learn everything they could.

"**With all of that said...**" All Might trailed off before suddenly turning to face them, making all of Class 1-A flinch in surprise as All Might struck up another epic pose while holding a piece of paper with one word.

_'BATTLE'_.

"**So, let's get right into it with Combat Training!**"

"Combat training?" Katsuki asked, grinning with excitement. Izuku also felt the excitement, along with everyone else in the class, as All Might pointed to the wall behind him.

"**Indeed. But there is something still missing with you, and that is your costumes – and here are yours!**" The wall suddenly shifted, revealing several compartments that contained twenty metal suitcases, each with a name on them. "**These costumes have been made based in accordance with the needs indicated in your Quirk registration and the requests you made in the special forms you sent before school started!**"

The students cheered and slowly left their desks, eager to try out their new gear. Izuku was surprised that they had been finished in such a short time, but he figured that the Support Course students must have helped in their craft.

"**Now, go get changed and come to Ground Beta!**" All Might declared before dashing to the meeting ground.

* * *

All Might now stood at Ground Beta, his arms crossed as he waited for the arrival of his students.

"**The clothes make the person, ladies and gentlemen,**" All Might declared, inspecting his students' costumes as they walked out of the shadows and approached him. "**Be fully aware... from now on, you are Heroes!**"

Aoyama Yuga's costume looked like a knight's armor with a violet glimmering cape hanging from his shoulders, a wing-shaped visor covering his face and a belt with a ringed buckle that allowed him to fire his Quirk.

Ashido Mina wore a turquoise skintight bodysuit and a tan vest with white fur on the collar, as well as a white mask and purple-tan boots, freeing her arms to shoot her acid.

Asui Tsuyu had ensured she would play on her Frog Quirk by requesting a green-black suit with yellow linings that imitated a frog's skin markings. Everything else – goggles, gloves and boots – had also been designed with the same idea in mind.

Iida Tenya combined elegance and protection: over a black one-piece suit with a high collar, he wore a silver armor that included a metal mask that covered his entire face save for his eyes, a set of decorative mufflers that extended from his midriff and a pair of specialized metal boots that extended up past his knees.

Uraraka Ochaco wore something that seemed to play up to her Quirk, making her look like an astronaut with a pink and black skin-tight suit that covered her entire body, a transparent helmet for her head and thick, round bracers with handles attached to them, which allowed her to free her hands to apply her special touch to her opponents.

Ojiro Mashirao's costume was quite simple, a white karate gi made of a resistant fabric with a partially furred collar and a hole behind for his tail – which allowed him to make good use of his skills.

Kaminari Denki had a black jacket over a white shirt, a belt holding his black pants and a headset he would be able to use for communication – all decorated with little lightnings all over it.

Kirishima Eijiro wore a vest with two gear-shaped shoulder pads that left his chest uncovered, while a ripped skirt and set of black pants were held in place by a belt with an R-shaped buckle. Completing the design was a jaw guard around his mouth that seemed to be like an animal's fangs.

Koda Koji had also picked a simple costume: a short-sleeved, short-legged dark yellow and red bodysuit with a drawing around the chest area that looked like an animal's open mouth, as well as matching shoes.

Sato Rikido had chosen a yellow full-body suit that only left holes for his mouth, eyes and hair, while white gloves and boots covered hands and feet and an utility belt around his waist contained the sugar he used.

Shoji Mezo's suit was formed by a sleeveless shirt that appeared to be made of two different hues of blue, with a bronze buckle holding up his light blue pants, tucked into similar colored boots that went half way up his legs.

Jirou Kyoka had picked a costume that made her look like a rock star: a long salmon-colored shirt with several rips at the collar and bottom, with a black leather jacket, pants and boots, the latter with stereos she could plug her jacks in. Two red triangle facial marks decorated her cheeks, a black choker covered her neck and white finger-less gloves finished up her look.

Sero Hanta had a black full-body suit with white designs across his torso, with his sleeves left elbow-length with orange trims to allow him to use his Quirk, and his shoulder pads and his helmet were shaped like tape dispensers, a choice probably made to play on his power.

Tokoyami Fumikage only wore a dark robe with a purple tint, as well as black boots, which was quite understandable since his Quirk allowed him to not get involved in combat.

Todoroki Shoto wore a set of white shirt, pants and boots, along with a gold-colored combat vest, while the left side of everything above his waist was covered in ice, probably to better regulate his temperature should he use fire.

Hagakure Tooru stood out because of how few things she had: a pair of light blue gloves and brownish gray shoes. All Might deliberately chose not to think about the girl's attire, or lack thereof.

Bakugo Katsuki had a black sleeveless tank top covered with two bandoliers in the form of an X. His neck was covered with a metallic brace, his face with a large flare-shaped cloth, his hands with grenade-like gauntlets that stored his sweat, which also went into the grenades he carried on his belt. His black, knee-high combat boots completed the image he wanted to portray.

Shinso Hitoshi was another of those who picked simple costumes: in his case, a dark blue tracksuit similar to the U.A. PE uniform, only reinforced for potential close combat range. The only other concessions to combat-oriented equipment were a half-mask that covered his mouth and a scarf-like cloak that was quite similar to Aizawa's Capturing Weapon.

Yaoyorozu Momo wore a red leotard with silver linings and matching red boots, along with a golden utility belt, leaving open a good part of her skin so she could use her Creation Quirk without risking becoming naked.

And, finally, Izuku wore a green long-sleeve shirt with elbow pads over a black cargo vest, green cargo pants with black lines and knee pads and a red utility belt, with his white gloves and red combat boots laced with steel and a breathing mask.

Momo and Ochaco tried (poorly) to hide their admiration for how well Izuku's costume showed off his toned physique, and they were not the only ones, because Mina was also ogling the hell out of the green-haired boy. Said green-haired boy started blushing as he noticed the extra attention he was receiving from the girls.

Ochaco was the first to recover, walking up to her friend followed by Momo.

"That's a cool costume you got there, Deku-kun!" She complimented him, holding off on personally checking if he was as built as he looked like and trying to stealthily cover her blushing cheeks. "I should have been more descriptive with what I wanted, my costume ended up being a tad too tight for my taste."

"I don't think it's that bad. It actually looks great on you," Momo assured her with a pat on the shoulder, causing her blush to spread as Momo chuckled. "And I must agree with Ochaco, this costume looks very good on you."

Izuku did his best to keep his eyes on their eyes, but he could not avoid sneaking a peek to how well Momo and Ochaco's costumes fit to their bodies.

"So... that's your costume?" Izuku asked Momo, who nodded. Had it been someone else, she would have, at best, felt indifferent at the prospect of them looking at her chest, but in Izuku's case, she found that she _really_ didn't mind the idea.

"Are you sure that's the costume you designed, Momo?" Mina asked, butting in on their conversation.

"Yes. In fact, I had planned to reveal more skin, but they told me there was a limit to how much skin I could expose," Momo explained.

"Well, for all that it is worth, I think the three of you look good," Izuku complimented, causing the three girls to blush.

From away, Hitoshi looked at the group with interest before turning his attention elsewhere.

As for All Might, the hero resisted the urge to chuckle out loud when he saw the little mess his successor had gotten in, before getting back into topic.

"**Very well! You all look magnificent! Now, shall we begin your training, you zygotes?**"

"Sensei! This is the battle center from the Entrance Exam. Will we be conducting urban combat again?" Tenya asked, stiffly raising his right arm.

"**No, we're going to be doing much more than just that. Now, it may seem like fights against villains are always taking place on the streets, but in fact most villainous atrocities happen indoors!**" All Might elaborated. "**Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deals... in this society filled with Heroes, truly intelligent Villains must hide in the shadows! For this test, you will be split into teams of two, and then split into Villains and Heroes for several 2-on-2 indoor battles!**"

"Without basic training?" Asui asked, surprised.

"**THIS IS A BATTLE WHERE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THOSE BASICS!**" All Might exclaimed, clenching his fist. "**However, the key this time is that there's no robot you can just destroy!**"

"How will wins and losses be determined?" Momo asked.

"Can we beat the villains up until they die?" Bakugo asked while sending a glare at Izuku, who just rolled his eyes and ignored him again.

"Will you expel anyone like Aizawa-sensei did?" Ochaco asked, in worry.

"How will we be split in groups?" Tenya asked stiffly, raising his hand gain.

"Does this cape look awesome or not?" Yuga asked, showing off his cape while the others looked at him.

All Might felt overwhelmed by the influx of questions as she started to sweat from the temple, although fortunately he managed to call the teens' attention, who fell silent.

"**Allow me to answer your questions, but only one at a time! Aoyama-kun, your cape looks good, but you should be careful – you really don't want to get it stuck somewhere while in a fight. Uraraka-chan, no, I won't expel anyone. No, Bakugo-kun, you cannot kill other people while in U.A.. Yaoyorozu-chan, wins will be determined by capturing the enemy or achieving another objective, although each team will only participate once. As for how I plan to split you in groups... I will let the luck of the draw choose! Now, listen here!**"

With that said, All Might pulled out a piece of paper. Izuku snorted at his idol's antics.

_'It certainly fits his personality. You couldn't get any more hilarious!'_

"**The situation is the following: the Villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout, and the Heroes must dispose of it before it is too late. In order to win, the Heroes must either capture the Villains with the capture tape from that box over there or touch the nuclear weapon to deactivate it within ten minutes, while the Villains need to capture the Heroes or ensure the time runs out!**"

_'That's so American-like.'_

All Might then brought out a yellow box, seemingly out of nowhere.

"**Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!**"

"They are being decided so haphazardly?" Tenya asked, and Izuku had the idea that he probably expected something more organized, so he tapped him on the shoulder.

"Actually, Tenya-kun, this is smart. Just think about it: Pros often have to form makeshift teams with Heroes from other agencies. And Pros have to be able to adapt to any scenario you may come across and cooperate for the benefit of the mission," He pointed out. Tenya nodded as he understood his point.

"I see... the discernment to look ahead... Please, excuse my rudeness and ignorance!" Tenya said, bowing robotically to All Might, who clearly didn't know what to do with Tenya's sheer stiffness and formality.

"**It's fine, young Iida! Let's hurry up and begin this quickly!**" All Might bellowed, and the students drew their lots to see who they were paired up with.

_Team A: Midoriya Izuku and Tokoyami Fumikage_

_Team B: Todoroki Shoto and Shoji Mezo_

_Team C: Yaoyorozu Momo and Uraraka Ochaco_

_Team D: Bakugo Katsuki and Tenya Iida_

_Team E: Ashido Mina and Aoyama Yuga_

_Team F: Sato Rikido and Koda Koji_

_Team G: Kaminari Denki and Jirou Kyoka_

_Team H: Shinso Hitoshi and Asui Tsuyu_

_Team I: Kirishima Eijiro and Sero Hanta_

_Team J: Oijiro Mashirao and Hagakure Toru_

Izuku approached his new partner and extended his right hand to him.

"Looks like we are in a team. Let's both do our best together, alright?"

"Alright," Fumikage replied, shaking Izuku's hand without changing expression.

A few meters away, Ochaco and Momo were pouting because they were not in a team with Izuku, but looking at each other, they smiled.

"At least, we are in a team together," Ochaco said, showing her fist to Momo, who bumped it.

"Yes, pleasure to have you in my team, Ochaco-chan," Momo replied with a chuckle.

Two more lottery boxes – and Izuku wondered where he was keeping them hidden – appeared, one in white labeled 'Heroes' and the other in black labeled 'Villains'. Reaching into them, he pulled one ball from each.

"**And the first teams to participate will be... Team A for the Heroes, and Team D for the Villains!**"

Bakugo perked up, and a savage grin appeared in his face.

_'Hell, yeah! I can finally explode fucking Deku until he dies!'_

Once more, Izuku just rolled his eyes, knowing what was going on through Bakugo's mind.

"**Now, while both teams remain here, I want everyone else to head for the control room. That way you will be able to observe everything and comment on it!**"

"Aye, sir!" the students replied, leaving for the control room, while All Might called both teams to follow him to the building where the exercise would take place.

"**For this scenario, the Villains will begin inside the building, where they will have to hide a false nuclear weapon somewhere within and protect it until the time is over. Five minutes after the Villains enter, the test will begin and the Heroes will be allowed to come in. Young Bakugo and young Iida, you two need to learn to think from the perspective of the Villains. This is pretty close to a real battle, so go all out and don't be afraid to get hurt! Of course, if things go too far, I will stop it. Is everything understood?**"

The four students nodded, and All might pulled four pieces of paper and four small earplugs from a small pocket that didn't even seem to exist, handing one of each to them.

"**The paper contains the layout of the building, so memorize it. And these communicators can be used to keep in touch with each other. Team D, you may go into the building now. I will warn you when the test begins. Now, go!**" All Might finished, waiting until Bakugo and Tenya went into the building before leaving.

* * *

Bakugo and Tenya decided to put the false bomb at the top floor, believing it would give them the advantage during the fight, and then it was just a matter of time of waiting for the test to begin.

"Even if it is just training, it pains me to become a villain," Tenya complained, carefully touching the 'nuclear weapon'. "So, our job is to protect this? It looks realistic, but it's just papier-mache."

"Hey!" Tenya turned around to see his partner for the test, his back turned to him. "You still think Deku's Quirk is better than mine, huh?"

Tenya sighed in exasperation. He felt it was going to happen too many times around this one.

"Yes. I personally saw Izuku-kun destroy the zero-pointer villain in one shot with a huge energy ball, and even after that and all the fighting he did during the Entrance Exam, he wasn't even tired. I don't think it's advisable to charge him head on, though."

Bakugo shook in anger.

"I don't fucking care!" He snarled. "I'm going to show that damn nerd that he ain't better than me!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Izuku and Fumikage were waiting outside for the test to begin.

"You know, I was observing, and I noticed Bakugo has much hatred for you, Midoriya-san," Fumikage commented after memorizing the building lookout.

"Yeah, we used to be friends, but then he got his Quirk and became an insufferable arrogant jerk. He has talent and power, but he also has a hair trigger temper. I just don't have the energy to give a damn about him." Izuku shook his head. "Knowing what I know, I bet that Bakugo will try to come after me, while Tenya-kun stays behind to guard the bomb."

"Am I right in believing that you have a plan to extricate ourselves from this situation?"

"Yes. With your Quirk's versatility, there's a lot you can do, and I have a lot of ideas about how to deal with Bakugo when he comes after me. If you have any suggestions voice them, but this is my idea..."

* * *

Back in the control room, the students had sat down, looking at the various monitor screens that showed the building's interior.

"**Very well, now everyone watch carefully, for we will go over this test to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the fighters!**" All Might told the students.

_'**Young Midoriya, I hope you don't go overboard like in the Entrance Exam. Here you are just one of my students, and I will grade you without playing favorites. Now, go out and give your best here!**'_ The Symbol of Peace thought, picking a grading book and pencil while the class sat to watch the battle unfolding.

* * *

When All Might gave the warning, Izuku immediately began to put his plan into practice by entering the building through an open window. When he landed, he put on his breathing mask before starting to walk through the hallways, knowing what his role was going to be. It was as he turned a corner that he saw Bakugo coming from the other end of the corridor, sporting the usual savage grin on his face.

_'Ugh, I really can't deal with him when he's like this,'_ Izuku thought.

"Hey, look, it's you, Bakugo. So, what can I do for you in this wonderful afternoon?" Izuku asked sarcastically, his expression unchanging. Bakugo snarled back at him and thrusted his arms back, propelling himself forward with an explosion.

"Don't fucking look down on me, fucking Deku!" He screamed, charging forward to attack Izuku with his right hand.

However, before Bakugo could react, Izuku stepped out of the way and grabbed Bakugo's extended right forearm with his own, using Bakugo's speed to throw him over his shoulder and slamming him solidly into the ground.

_'What the hell? Did he fucking read me? But how?'_ Bakugo thought, surprised at the sudden change of direction he had experimented. The impact against the ground had enough force to blur his vision, make him spit saliva and leave him breathless for a moment. Gritting his teeth, the Explosion Quirk user rapidly stood up, glaring at Izuku...

… whose expression had not changed at all.

"Bakugo," Izuku began to speak. "You usually start with a explosive charge while preparing a big right swing. How much do you think I have been watching you? Remember the notebook you once attempted to burn? That's my Hero Journal. I have a full analysis on pretty much everyone with Quirks I've met. Including you."

"WHAT?" Bakugo shouted in bewilderment, as he remembered the last time he had tried to destroy that notebook Izuku always carried around.

"The name 'Deku'... the same one you use as an insult to call me useless and worthless. Well, guess what? It has another meaning. It means 'I can do it'. So your dumbass insult backfired. I don't know what happened between us, but I have not been the Deku you like to pick on in the last decade. So, bring it on, Bakugo," Izuku calmly declared.

Another snarl, this time of both pain and fury, was a prelude to Bakugo's next attempt to attack Izuku, this time by lashing out with his left hand and releasing an explosion at him. Izuku had just jumped to a side, away from the range of the explosion, which also lifted Bakugo off the ground.

"_Hey, Bakugo-kun! Give me your status! What happened?_" Tenya asked through Bakugo's earpiece.

"Shut the fuck up, Glasses! Just defend the stupid damned bomb!" Bakugo shouted back before getting ready to attack Izuku once more.

"_I'm not asking about how you feel! Hey!_"

Before Tenya could say anything further, Bakugo took off his earpiece and threw it away.

"What the... he hung up... going off on his own like that... what is wrong with him? Geez!" Tenya muttered for his own sake – not knowing that someone was watching him from the shadows.

* * *

In the control room, the class observed the battle with baited breath.

"Deku-kun and Tokoyami-kun separated before entering the building," Ochaco said, pointing at Izuku entering through the first floor while Fumikage used his Quirk to quickly fly to the top floor of the building. "Why are they doing it like this?"

"Midori-kun probably has a plan for this, I think," Mina answered. Ochaco immediately turned to look at her, shocked that she was calling him by a nickname.

"He does. He had more than enough time to come up with a plan, and if there's someone he knows well, it is Bakugo. He knew Bakugo would come for him, leaving Tenya behind to guard the nuclear weapon, so he went through the first floor to keep Bakugo away from the bomb while Tokoyami sneaks into the room with the bomb," Momo explained with a smile.

"That's so very true, and fitting," Mina answered, grinning.

The next minute, the class watched in awe as things began to happen precisely as Momo described – and also how Izuku easily predicted how Bakugo would act, displaying power and technique by slamming him into the ground.

"Wow, he's a martial artist as well!" Ochaco chirped, impressed by Izuku's counter, vaguely remembering how he mentioned having met Kendo-chan in a dojo.

"Indeed," Ojiro said, nodding as he recognized the move used by Izuku, and expecting to have a chance to spar with him.

"Holy..." Kirishima muttered, being left wordless by the sudden turn of events.

"Anyone else notice that Midoriya didn't even use his Quirk to throw Bakugo to the ground?" Aoyama pointed out.

"**You are all correct! It seems that young Midoriya had a plan that fit with his knowledge of the Villains that would allow him to retrieve the weapon!**" All Might answered, grinning as he mentally went over his pride of how Izuku fought, yet allowed everyone to have a hot. "**But, there's always a chance that the tides could turn for either side at any moment! Besides, as you already know, U.A. High has a motto. 'Go Beyond-'**"

"PLUS ULTRA!" the students finished with a cheer.

"Monsieur All Might, Bakugo is doing something!" Aoyama exclaimed, pointing at one of the screens.

"**Huh?**" All Might muttered as he looked towards the monitors.

* * *

Bakugo hid his left hand as he prepared to ignite an explosion. However, this was poorly done, and Izuku could easily tell what he was planning to do, so he just stood where he was.

Firing the explosion, Bakugo launched himself towards Izuku at a high speed, aiming a flying kick at his head with his left leg. Once more, though, Izuku rapidly reacted and grabbed the threatening leg, swinging Bakugo across the hallway and making him fly against the wall, which he hit with his back.

"GAH!" Bakugo said, spitting out more saliva as he was slammed again.

_'Keep it up, Bakugo, you are getting so predictable,'_ Izuku thought as he proceeded to implement the next step of the plan.

As soon as Bakugo got back up and placed both of his hands behind him, ready to propel himself, Izuku turned and ran around the corner, leaving behind a trail of energy.

"Goddamn it! Don't you fucking dare run from me, Deku! Come back here!" Bakugo yelled, starting to run behind him in pursuit while blasting another explosion to propel himself. However, this time it seemed that Izuku was hiding himself quite well, because two minutes later, while Bakugo had followed him to the floor below the one with the bomb, he could not see him. "Where the fuck are you? Why aren't you using your flashy Quirk, you shit?"

A slight noise came from his left, and Bakugo turned in that direction – only to receive a knee covered with green energy straight to the stomach, courtesy of an ambushing Izuku. For the third time in the past five minutes, Bakugo was sent crashing on his back against the floor.

"You d-damn nerd! That was a cheap shot!" Bakugo yelled angrily, coughing as he slowly got back to his feet, touching the area where he had been kneed – and that hurt.

In spite of Bakugo's reaction, Izuku remained inexpressive as he got into a fighting stance – spiking Bakugo's rage.

"You still think you are fucking better than me, huh? I'M BETTER THAN YOU, DEKU!" Bakugo furiously declared as he prepared for another attack.

* * *

Two floor above the fight, Fumikage peeked from behind one of the pillars, seeing Iida guarding the bomb.

_'This is it, I am in place to fulfill my role,'_ he thought, hoping that he would be able to do his part in the plan Midoriya had come up with. He was about to make the call, but then he overheard Iida talking to himself, so he waited to listen what he was saying.

"Bakugo-kun is a natural at being bad, but that fits this training perfectly. Thus, I must also devote myself to being a Villain. That's right, this is another trial to turn me into a Hero that will not bring shame to the Iida family. Become a Villain! Be dyed with evil in order to become a Hero! I am... extremely evil!"

Fumikage quietly snorted to himself and brought his hand to his ear.

* * *

"_Midoriya, I have reached my position,_" Tokoyami says through the earpiece as Izuku prepares for the next round of the fight against Bakugo.

"Good, just wait for my signal," Izuku acknowledged.

"_I shall do so._"

Bakugo heard Izuku speaking and gave a snarl, putting his left gauntlet forward, aiming at Izuku.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE KEEP UNDERESTIMATING ME, DEKU!" he screamed, reaching for the safety pin that hanged from the side of his grenade-like gauntlet. "If they made this the way I asked, as soon as I pull the pin the gauntlet will detonate all the nitroglycerin I sweat into it. Then it means I'M GOING TO FINALLY FUCKING EXPLODE YOU TO DEATH, STUPID NERD!"

Bakugo pulled the pin with a maniac expression.

'_Seriously?_' Izuku narrowed his eyes, finally changing expression.

A massive blast detonated, sending Bakugo flying away, covering the hallways and destroying the walls that were caught in the blast. Tenya could feel the blast even several floors away, while Fumikage just used the shadows to move closer to the room where Tenya was guarding the bomb.

Back in the monitor room, the students also somehow felt the blast. Ochaco and Mina were clearly worried about what just had happened, but Momo thought she had seen something special and thus remained confident, as did All Might.

As the smoke began to clear, Bakugo felt his grin turn even more psycho-like.

"Do you still believe you are better than me, Deku?" He screamed. "I will break you and force you to surrender with my full strength!"

"_Bakugo, answer me! Did you do that? What in the world did you do? Explain yourself!_" Tenya frantically, and uselessly, shouted through his earpiece as he tried to figure out what had just happened in the floor below.

"For heaven's sake, you are insane."

Bakugo felt the blood drain from his face when he heard Izuku's voice through the smoke. When it finally cleared enough, he saw him kneeling, surrounded with a spherical energy barrier that vanished a moment later, revealing that Izuku and his costume had gone completely unscathed.

"Bakugo..." Izuku trailed off, looking around himself at the destruction brought by the explosion, a serious look on his face. "Did you seriously try to _murder_ me?"

"What if I did?" Bakugo growled in anger. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have used your Quirk! Still thinking I am weaker than you? Come at me, damn it, fight me like a real man!"

"I see," Izuku replied, his eyes narrowing. "I gotta say, Bakugo, congratulations. You made me change my expression, and your trump card didn't even hurt me."

"DON'T YOU DARE MOCK ME!" Bakugo snarled, charging again at Izuku. The green-haired boy got ready to counter, but right before making contact Bakugo used a second blast to change his direction mid-air, using the momentum to fly over Izuku's head in order to blast him on his back. He was unprepared for Izuku to quickly form an energy wall, reflecting the explosion back at him.

Still in the air, Bakugo tried to go again for another right hook, but once more Izuku grabbed him by the right arm and threw Bakugo against the closest intact wall with all his strength: once more, Bakugo hit the wall, but this time he was upside down, collapsing seconds later and stumbling as he tried to stand up.

"I WILL FUCKING BEAT YOU! DAMN NERD!" Bakugo had clearly run out of things to say, and tried to charge him again.

"Tokoyami, now," Izuku said in his earpiece.

"Acknowledged," Fumikage responded.

Izuku counter-charged at full speed, and both of them prepared their attacks: Bakugo was about to use his right gauntlet to cause another massive explosion, while Izuku's right arm glowed yellow green along with green lightning and red veins flashing on the skin.

"**GODZILLA...**"

"DEKU!" Bakugo shouted, pulling the other safety pin.

"**...SMASH!**"

Right at the last moment, Izuku aimed his arm upwards and sent the blast upwards, followed by an energy ball. The blast went through all the floors, making a hole in them and creating powerful gusts of wind that made the entire building shake, with the building only surviving because he had taken care of pointing it so it would only blast floors and into the air, never through the pillars – although the shockwave was still powerful enough to be felt all the way to the monitor room. Finally, before the gauntlet could explode, Izuku grabbed it and infused it with his energy, defusing the nitroglycerin, much to Bakugo's shock.

* * *

"What in the..." Tenya said, shocked at the huge explosion that had just shaken the entire building. A hole opened in the middle of the floor, but there was so much wind and debris that it was hard to see what was happening.

He did see a ball of yellow green energy popping out from the hole, and then Fumikage leaping out with his Quirk activated, as the shadow beast devoured the ball and suddenly became larger than he thought was possible. Tenya was stuck in his position in terror, and before he could react the beast enveloped him in darkness.

Seconds later, the darkness lifted, only for him to see Fumikage grabbing the false bomb.

"Nuclear weapon retrieved," Fumikage said in his earpiece.

* * *

Izuku stared at Bakugo, who was now on his hands and knees, temporarily weakened by Izuku's use of his Quirk. The Explosion Quirk user panted in disbelief, shocked that Izuku had twice nullified his trump card, causing massive destruction in the building in the process.

"You... beat... me..." Bakugo uttered the words he never thought he would say. Izuku looked at him with his breathing mask off and a serious expression on.

"I knew you would be coming for me, so I figured I could distract you long enough before giving Tokoyami's Quirk a temporary boost that would allow him to overwhelm Tenya-kun. That's why I led you to this floor, so I could find an opening and offer it to Tokoyami." Bakugo's eyes widened: in his rage, he had not realized he was actually being played. "And, also, I wanted to teach you a lesson. I wanted you to learn that there's always the chance that someone could be better than you. If you want a suggestion, I would silence your pride and begin shaping up, because if you don't... you will not like the consequences."

Izuku began to walk away, not looking back, as All Might's voice was heard through the speakerphones that had survived the battle.

"**THE HERO TEAM WINS!**"

* * *

Izuku exited the building, followed in the distance by Fumikage, who was holding a still frazzled Tenya, and he met All Might in the entrance.

"**That was a good job out there, young Midoriya. You did very well,**" The hero said, smiling.

"Thank you, Sensei," Izuku replied with a smile. All Might pulled out a slip from yet another pocket and handed it to Izuku.

"**This is from Recovery Girl, she wants to see you at her office as soon as you can.**"

"Okay," Izuku said, taking the slip and checking it. All Might put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked back at him.

"**I know you could have done it in just a few moments, but I am glad you gave the others a chance to participate in the test,**" All Might said in a lower voice.

"I had to try to keep things fair, at the very least. And... I really didn't want to have to do it, but I also had to give Bakugo a lesson in humility." With that, Izuku checked on Fumikage and Tenya, who fortunately did not need to visit the infirmary, and he headed for Recovery Girl's office.

Back in the building, Bakugo was now sitting down, leaning against one of the few intact walls, as he went over his fight.

'_My right hook... Deku predicted it... and he knew I was coming for him..._' He thought, as Izuku's words came unbidden.

"_I wanted you to learn that there's always the chance that someone could be better than you._"

Bakugo began to shake and tremble, breathing hard and irregularly as something else came up.

'_Does that mean that... even if I fought all-out from the beginning... he could have completely..._'

Before Bakugo could finish the thought, he felt a big, strong hand gently gripping his shoulder.

"**Come back to the monitor room, young Bakugo. It's time to review the fight. And remember, whether you win or lose, this is still school, and looking back and learning from your experiences is a part of life,**" All Might said, firm but gentle, as he helped Bakugo stand up.

* * *

Izuku arrived to Recovery Girl's office and knocked on the opened door, calling the elder woman's attention.

"Ah, you made it here, lad," she said with a gentle smile.

"So, you called me here. Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all. I have been thinking about the proposal you made me this morning, and, although I have never done this before, I think that teaching you how to heal people more effectively is something I can easily get behind," She declared.

"That would be wonderful, Recovery Girl," Izuku replied.

For the rest of the hour, Recovery Girl taught Izuku how to focus his will whenever he wanted to heal something, as well as some basic lessons in anatomy so he could know how to act, but also pointing out that too much use of the ability might strain him, particularly if he was exhausted.

"Alright, lad, that wraps up our first lesson," She said when the bell rang. "I think it's time for you to go back to your class now. I'll speak with your homeroom teacher to find a way to add this to your schedule."

"Yes, ma'am. See you later, bye!" Izuku bid farewell to his second mentor and began to run to his homeroom. As he walked down the halls, he sighed.

"I ended up skipping the rest of the lesson... Aizawa-sensei is going to punish me..." He mumbled.

* * *

Making it back to Class 1-A's homeroom, Izuku was soon bombarded by his classmates as they cheered on him.

"Oh, look, Midoriya's here! Good work! Man, I don't know what you were saying during the match, but you were so manly!" Eijiro said as he congratulated Izuku.

"It was so cool seeing you fighting!" Hanta said.

"That was a great job done, dodging and countering, Midori-kun!" Mina gushed, energy seemingly coming out of every pore.

"You guys really gave us an example to follow, and the rest of us gave it our all during our matches, too!" Rikido interjected as he pumped up his fists.

"You were far from elegant, but-" Yuga tried to say, but he was cut off by Mina threatening to hit him in the back of the neck while jumping excitedly.

All of that had happened in just a few seconds, and he felt slightly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of compliments thrown at him, when Momo came between the others and hugged him.

"Congratulations on winning, Izuku-kun," She complimented him before releasing him.

"Thanks, Momo-chan. So, what did I miss?"

"Well, after your fight – where did you go, by the way? – we discussed it and you were picked as MVP by All Might. After that, the others had our own battles."

"Really? I'm MVP?" Izuku asked. Momo nodded.

"You effectively adapted to the circumstances, made a plan that involved everyone in the exercise and didn't even get injured even though you were fighting Bakugo and his Explosion Quirk."

"How did you and Ochaco-chan do?" He asked, wanting to know about the other fights.

"Oh, we won. We fought Kirishima and Sero. I came up with a couple of ideas, Ochaco-chan suggested others, and in the end we managed to retrieve the weapon, but it was hard," she replied.

"Midoriya-kun, I must say that your plan was very well made and executed. Good job," Fumikage said, sitting on his desk.

"Tokoyami-kun! That desk is not a chair, get off immediately!" Tenya said, his strict attitude shining, but Fumikage ignored him.

"C'mon, Iida-san, lay off him, it's not that big of a deal," Kyoka said bluntly.

"Wh-?"

"And what's with the hands, anyway?" Mashirao asked, pointing at Tenya's hands as they chopped the air.

"You people... I cannot condone actions that disrespect the desks the great men and women who are our upperclassmen once used!" Tenya shouted, absolute seriousness in his voice.

_'He never wavers, does he?'_ Izuku thought.

As that happened, Kaminari and Ochaco entered the room, carrying two large stacks of books in their hands.

"Hey, Uraraka, wanna grab a bite to eat sometime? What do you like?" Denki asked her. Unfortunately for him, Ochaco was oblivious to the fact that he was trying to ask her out on a date.

"Well, I like mochi and... Deku-kun!" She said when she saw Izuku. Dropping the books on the closest desk, she ran right to Izuku's side, ignoring how Denki's face dropped. Eijiro, who _did_ see it, began to snicker. "Deku-kun! How are you feeling? Are you alright? What did Recovery Girl want with you?"

"Oh, I'm all good, she just wanted to discuss something with me about my Quirk and give me a few pointers." As he talked, Izuku realized someone was missing: Bakugo's desk and chair were empty. "Um... does anyone know where's Bakugo?"

"We all tried to stop him, but as soon as the bell rang he left without saying a thing," Ochaco replied. Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Will you excuse me? I need to talk with him before it is too late," he replied, running out of the door, leaving his classmates in confusion.

* * *

Energy infused in his legs, Izuku managed to reach the entrance and open the door just in time to see Bakugo walking out the front gates, ready to go home.

"Bakugo! Wait up!" Izuku shouted, running towards him. Bakugo stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.

"What do you want, Deku?" He asked.

"Don't tell me you're leaving because of what I did and said to you."

Bakugo turned around to look at him in the eyes with an annoyed look.

"The hell are you trying to say? Today, I lost to you, that's all it was." He shook in anger as he recalled the battle exercise where Todoroki won almost instantly. "I watched the ice guy, and I knew I could beat him! And, damn it, I even ended up agreeing with what you and Ponytail girl said!"

He punched the metal door, annoyed with himself and swearing, before turning back to Izuku. Much to his surprise, Bakugo was actually crying.

"Deku! I'm... I'm just getting started, but know this! You may have beaten me today, but that's all you're going to get! You will never beat me again, you hear me! I'll be the Number One Hero, and I don't care who stands in my way! You better be ready to be the Number Two Hero, because the Number One spot is all mine!" Bakugo declared, before he wiped away his tears and walked away.

"We'll see about that," Izuku said in a low voice, confidently smiling as the sun began to set.

Unbeknownst to him, All Might had been close by, and had overheard the entire conversation, smiling in relief.

'**_I was worried that you would tell young Bakugo the secret of One for All, but obviously I was worried for no reason. I'm glad you have finally helped him push through his inferiority complex and gained a rival, that will benefit the two of you. It will give you someone to compare yourself with, and for him it will be a drive to push beyond his limits and a way to learn humility. Good job, young Midoriya, and keep it up!_**'

From the window, four girls had also seen the exchange between the two students.

"What were they saying?" Mina asked.

"The Fated Battle Between Men," Ochaco stated as Izuku began to walk back towards the school building.

"I think Midoriya-kun was just trying to motivate Bakugo-kun, though," Tsuyu pointed out.

"You may be right, Tsuyu-chan. After this, Bakugo will finally begin to respect Izuku-kun as a rival, as someone he has to work to defeat, and maybe he will learn to hold his tongue," Momo observed.

"The Fated Battle Between Rivals!" Ochaco exclaimed, smiling.

Ignorant of what was happening a few meters away from him, Izuku was thinking.

_'I have lit his fuse – but that doesn't change what I have to do. I just have to keep getting better if I want to become a great hero,'_ He told himself as he returned to the classroom, in order to get his stuff back, say goodbye to his classmates and head back home.

* * *

Somewhere else in Japan, in an empty bar, a young man who had several severed hands all around his arms and face sat reading a newspaper headlined "_**All Might Becomes U.A. Teacher! Closes Agency Temporarily.**_"

"Did you see this? It says he's a teacher now. What do you think will happen... if the Symbol of Peace... is killed by villains?" The young man wondered.

* * *

**Soundtracks: _Continuing Universe Theme_ from _River City Melee_ for the scene with Recovery Girl, _Sister's Theme 2_ from _River City Melee_ for the canteen scene, _Hero A_ from _Boku no Hero Academia_ when Class 1-A arrives to Ground Beta, _Nervous Competition Preparation_ from _River City Melee_ between All Might reading the Battle Trial and Ochaco and Momo joining forces, _Kill U 2wise Over_ from _No More Heroes Desperate Struggle_ during the Fumikage/Izuku vs Katsuki/Tenya Battle Test, _Ending Theme_ from _River City Melee _for Izuku's conversation with Bakugo after the class.**

**Me: Holy shit! This took me a long while! Izuku has humbled Bakugo! Setsuna asked Izuku out to watch Godzilla! Izuku gets to know his classmates and their quirks! How does Superpower and One for All go together?**

**So please review, fave, follow, or all of the above. However NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! But if it's criticism then I'm alright with that. No guest reviews, I will delete them.**

**I think I'm going to take a break for awhile. Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	5. Unforeseen Simulation Pt1

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now this Unforeseen Simulation Joint Arc will be divided into two parts.**

**For those complaining about how broken that Superpower presents, no worries****. Izuku will have his struggles here.**

**A shout out to Zukafew119 for making long thought out reviews for this story. Much appreciated man!**

**Milarqui: And here I am again, dealing with grammar, tenses and making sure this story doesn't get too weird.**

**With that out of the way, let's begin!**

**Chapter 5: Unforeseen Simulation Part 1**

* * *

_Izuku could see nothing as he looked around himself. Everything was completely black._

_Until, suddenly, a flash of different colored lights shone before him. Somehow, it did not blind him in spite of its intensity, and as the light dimmed, it was to see seven people looking at him._

_He felt uneasy._

_"Who are you?" Izuku asked, curious._

_"You will know when the time is right," One of them – a female, and something tells him it is the youngest of the lot – speaks up. "For now, though, you have a long journey ahead of you, Torch Bearer."_

_Izuku felt the shock and showed it through his eyes._

_"How did you know?"_

_The question was left without answer, for the figures only stood there as they slowly started to vanish._

_"Wait, wait, I still need answers!"_

_Izuku tried to stretch his hand, tried to chase the figures, but then a white light came in and enveloped everything._

* * *

Izuku woke up, his eyes quickly shooting open as he hunched up, heavily breathing from what he had seen. Looking around, it was obvious that it had all been just a 'dream'. But there was something that did not fit.

"What was all that about? Who were those people?" Izuku asked himself, looking at his hands and then to the ceiling. "It seems that One for All has more secrets that I really need to find out for myself..."

* * *

"Hey, you, kid! How are All Might's classes? What is it like to be taught by All Might himself?"

He really, really wanted to sigh. Or curse. Or anything other than remaining completely calm.

Because, when you were besieged by the members of the fourth power – also known as journalists as news reporters – doing that kind of thing was never a good idea.

The fact that All Might had closed up his agency had been found out by the press, and someone had filtered that he now taught at U.A., so today the entrance gate had become besieged by the media in an attempt to interview the Symbol of Peace, but, lacking him, they thought to ask the next best thing, the students.

Thus, when Izuku, Itsuka, Momo, Ochaco and Setsuna arrived, they were surrounded by cameras and microphones all of them wanting to learn something about the Number One Hero and his teaching. And none of the teens wanted to say anything about their teacher, but at the same time they were unable to get through the crowd.

Izuku suddenly had an idea about how to get rid of the questioners.

"Well, not much, I guess, but I can tell you everything I know about Business Management!" He brightly answered, deciding that he could easily get through by making them think he did not have All Might as a teacher. The reporters immediately decided to ignore him, and Izuku restrained his initial reaction to choke up laughing as they turned to Ochaco.

"Will you tell us about how the Symbol of Peace is like as a teacher?"

Ochaco was a little taken aback by the question, but soon decided to pick the same strategy as Izuku and imply she was not in the Hero Course.

"We haven't seen him much around General Education," She said with a smile, making Izuku snicker while the other girls giggled. Momo spoke about making machines – technically correct, thanks to her power – to appear to be part of the Support Course, Setsuna 'joined' Ochaco's class and Itsuka started to speak about the basics of merchandising before they, too, were left alone and allowed to go through.

Then, they saw Tenya walking to the school entrance. Izuku and the others waited there to see if their friend needed their help.

"What do you think of All Might as a teacher?" The same woman that had gone after Izuku asked. Tenya stood up ramrod, and Izuku knew this would be good.

"He made me recognize anew that I truly attend an educational institution that is the best of the best! Of course, his dignity and character go without saying, but we students at the Hero course are constantly able to see his humorous side as he strives to demonstrate how the career of a hero, while stressful and hard, can be quite interesting as well! It is indeed an unique opportunity to learn about being a top Hero directly from the best of them!" He said with his usual serious and stiff fashion – managing to completely turn all the reporters off from him, as none of them desired to have to listen to long speeches. Izuku waved at Tenya, who immediately came in with them.

"Man, what's with these kids... none of them actually wants to speak about him..."

"There's another there! Excuse me, kid! Can you tell me about All Mi-oh, wait, I remember you, you are the one who was caught by that Sludge Villain the last year!" The reporter said, recognizing Bakugo. He was unlucky, though, that Bakugo would get visibly irritated and annoyed when that event was brought up, since he would rather forget the whole incident had happened at all, so he growled at the reporters.

"Fuck off! Leave me alone!" Shoving one of the largest journalists aside, he got through without further questions.

"Wait, now I remember, the boy who said he was in Business was the one that rescued him!" Whirling around, they realized that Izuku had already skipped into the building, and was now out of their reach. "They got away... dang it."

That was the moment Aizawa chose to come out to face them.

"Um, about All Might... wow, you're scruffy... what's your deal?" The female news reporter asked with a grimace, knowing that her hopes were now dust and ashses.

"He's not on duty today. You are irrationally disturbing the normal course of the classes. Please, leave," Aizawa said as he turned around.

"Please! We need to speak directly with All Might!" One of the reporters begged. Aizawa sighed, ignoring the reporters as he went over his class plans.

'_I can't believe All Might was able to work as a Hero with all of this._'

"Hey!" The news reporter shouted, starting to get frustrated over her lack of success. "Just a little time is fine! Just let me see All Might!"

Trying to walk past the front entrance was a complete failure, though, for as soon as she passed an invisible line a buzzer went off and two large metal gates appeared, blocking the front entrance.

"Wh-What the..."

"It's the U.A. Barrier," Another reporter, apparently one with more experience, explained. "Unless you have a Student or Teacher ID, or a pass assigned by the school, the security system kicks in. There are supposed to be sensors all over the school."

"What the hell? They think they're so high and mighty. What's wrong with one comment?"

"It's been three days since he started, and they still won't say anything!"

It had certainly taken the press by storm, learning about All Might teaching at U.A., and after checking it was true, they had descended on the school.

Unknown to them, a mysterious figure now stood ominously as the wind blew around him. It was not just any random bystander, though... no, it was somebody with... malicious intent...

* * *

Shota entered the classroom, and nodded when he saw that all his students had already taken their seats.

"You are becoming more rational as time passes. That is good. Allow me to congratulate you on your good work on yesterday's combat training. I saw the video and the results, and in general you have done a good job," Aizawa stated, before he looked at Bakugo. "Bakugo, you are talented, but you are old enough to know how to act when you lose. Accept it happened and learn from them."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Bakugo answered, looking aside with an annoyed grunt.

"Now, let's get down to homeroom business. I apologize for the late notice, but today, you will..."

'_Don't say 'take a special test', don't say 'take a special test',_' Everyone thought at the same time.

"... decide who is to become your class representative."

Everyone sighed in relief. It was a normal, typical school activity today. However, with the tension gone, now everyone was eager to act!"

"I want to be class rep! Pick me!" Eijiro yelled out.

"Me too!" Denki followed suit.

"I want to do it, too!" Kyoka said, rising her hand.

"It's a job made for-"

"I'll be the leader!" Mina shouted, interrupting Yuga once more.

After that, it was pandemonium, as everyone tried to make themselves heard above the others. The only one not acting up was Izuku.

'_If this were a normal class, being representative would just mean taking on daily duties... but here in the Hero course, it's another way to learn how to be a top Hero, by leading a group,_' He thought, calmly observing the chaos. While he did not give much thought to the idea, he considered that maybe it would be interesting to become representative, at least one year.

Things were getting chaotic, and people were saying all sorts of stuff, although due to the noise he could not understand what they were saying. He did see Denki getting hit by one of Kyoka's earjacks, so he supposed he must have said something perverted.

"Silence, please!"

Everyone stopped shouting: Tenya had managed to yell above them, calling their attention to him.

"The job of class representative is one that requires great responsibility in leading others. It's not about wanting to do the job, it is a calling that requires the trust of those around you. I suggest that we use a democratic vote to decide on our new leader."

"Your hand was raised the highest!" The rest of Class 1-A answered together, pointing out that Tenya had, too, been demanding to be named representative.

"Why do you suggest that? This is not the Diet!" Denki said.

"We have known each other just for a few days, how can we have trust or anything towards each other?" Tsuyu asked, tapping her chin with her index.

"Man, everyone will just vote for themselves then..." Eijiro muttered, leaning on his table.

"Well, if someone manages to receive multiple votes, then couldn't that person be considered to be suitable? What do you think, Aizawa-sensei?" Tenya asked their homeroom teacher, hoping that at least he would accept his proposal.

"I don't care about what method you use, as long as you do it before homeroom hour is over. And don't make too much noise," Aizawa responded as he got into his sleeping bag and settle down for a nap. Everyone looked at the man bemused before Tenya reacted, starting to cut paper in pieces and handing one to each of his classmates before they could react. In the end, since it was obvious no one had a better suggestion, they decided to vote on it.

'_Hmm, Tenya-kun seems like a good candidate,_' Izuku thought, pondering who to vote for, '_but he tends to be a tad too inflexible and stiff. But, maybe..._' He wrote down his choice and passed it along.

A few minutes later, everyone had voted, and the results were on the blackboard for everyone to see.

_Yaoyorozu Momo – 3 votes_

_Midoriya Izuku – 2 votes_

_Aoyama Yuga, Ashido Mina, Asui Tsuyu, Bakugo Katsuki, Hagakure Toru, Hanta Sero, Kaminari Denki, Kirishima Eijiro, Koda Koji, Sato Rikido, Shinso Hitoshi, Shoji Mezo, Todoroki Shoto, Tokoyami Fumikage – 1 vote_

Izuku was somewhat surprised by the results, because he certainly had not expected to receive two votes. One person was clearly unhappy with the final result, though.

"What the fuck? Who the hell voted for the damn nerd?" Bakugo yelled in rage as he jumped out of his seat.

"I don't know, but better him than you," Hanta commented, turning Bakugo's attention to him.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?"

Sero just gave him a deadpan look, as Tenya lamented his lack of success.

"I give up! Zero votes... I knew this would happen, though, it is only to be expected of a person's calling," He said, clearly filled with misery over not getting a single vote.

"You voted for someone else, didn't you?" Momo asked sympathetically, and Iida nodded.

"But... you wanted to be class rep, too. What were you trying to do, Iida?" Sato asked, but Tenya chose not to answer as Aizawa sat up and looked at the blackboard.

"Alright, that settles it. Yaoyorozu is class rep, and Midoriya is deputy class rep," the teacher said in a bored and monotone voice as the two choices stood and bowed to the class.

'_Hmm, I don't mind this set up at all,_' Momo thought, smiling and winking at Izuku, who returned the smile. Everyone discussed the outcome, but Tenya remained quite, having to take on the fact that no one had picked him.

* * *

Now that they were at lunch, the students could discuss the events of the morning, and their friends in 1-B joined them.

"So, who did you guys pick as class reps?" Itsuka asked, eating her food. "I'm class rep, Setsuna's my deputy."

"I am Momo's deputy," Izuku said, sitting down next to the newly minted class representative. "I can't believe I actually got two votes, I'm not sure of who actually did it."

"It'll be fine, Izuku-san. Your courage and judgement at critical moments make you a worthy deputy. Out of all of use, you are probably the one with the greatest heroic spirit. That's why I voted for you," Tenya said before silently taking a spoonful of his miso soup. Everyone looked at him.

"You... voted for me?" Izuku asked, surprised. Tenya shrugged his shoulders.

Ochaco sighed.

"I didn't know who to vote for, Deku-kun, Momo or you – in the end I picked her for the position, since she's so organized."

"Well, I voted for Momo, and I am guessing that Kyoka also voted for Momo, so that means..." Izuku muttered, looking at Momo, who smiled at him with a piece of sushi between her chopsticks.

"I voted for you, Izuku," Momo said, smiling.

"But... didn't you want to be class rep, too, Tenya? I mean, you are smart and all of that," Ochaco asked.

"Wanting to do it and being suitable for it are different things. While I would have liked it, I judged someone else to be more suitable for the role," Tenya replied, sipping on his orange juice.

Everyone knew that Tenya was part of the Iida family, a group that had been heroes pretty much since Quirks started to appear: Tenya himself was the younger brother of the famous Pro Hero Ingenium. The fact that Tenya was capable of such introspection made him look quite well in the eyes of the others. Izuku kept eating until he found out Shinso Hitoshi, their latest classmate, sitting by himself.

"Do you guys mind? I'm going to talk with Shinso-san," Izuku said, standing up and taking his tray with him to head over where the purple-haired teen sat.

"Hello," Izuku greeted warmly. Hitoshi seemed surprised as he saw him sit down in front of him.

"Hi... I guess?" He responded, a bit confused. Izuku looked awkwardly at the table, finding nobody but them was sitting there.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah, it's always been like this for me. I don't need anyone," He spat out, surprising Izuku.

"Really? You don't want to have friends?" Izuku asked.

"No."

"I see..." Izuku kept eating, wishing to do something about the awkward silence that fell between them. Hitoshi felt annoyed that Midoriya tried to socialize, when all he wanted was to be left alone, so he decided he could try to find a way to make him leave.

"It must be nice to have a powerful Quirk," He said, suddenly realizing that he had committed a mistake.

'_I want him to go away, not to stay and chat with me!_'

"Yeah, it sure is," Izuku replied, smiling, "although I'm sure there are others with powerful Quirks, too."

Hitoshi sighed.

'_I just wish I was one of them._'

"Speaking of, that Brainwashing Quirk you have..."

'_Oh, great, here it comes,_' Hitoshi thought, groaning in the depths of his mind.

"It's a great Quirk, really powerful."

Hitoshi blinked. Of all the possible answers, he would have never expected that one.

"Just think, Shinso-san. With your Quirk, you can ensure criminals surrender without bloodshed. You can get people to evacuate a building or a place without surrendering into panic. You just need some training like all of us, but I am sure you are going to be a great hero one day."

All of his life, Hitoshi had been told so many times that he would be a 'villain' because of the way his Quirk worked that it had left a deep mark on him. But, suddenly, this green-haired boy with the most powerful Quirk he had ever seen had come and told him straight that not only could he be a hero, but that he would be a great one.

He did not have the time to reply to the compliment, though.

_VREEEEEEEEEEE!_

The screech made everyone in the cafeteria cringe, before it was followed by an announcement.

"Level 3 security breach detected. All students, please evacuate outdoors promptly and in order."

"What's a Level 3 security breach?" Tenya asked one of the upperclassmen nearby.

"Someone is trespassing on school grounds! It's the first time I've heard it in the three years I've been here! You guys should hurry too!" The upperclassman replied, standing up and running for the exit.

Pure chaos followed from the students' attempts to evacuate. Unfortunately, the panic had propelled everyone to attempt to exit the canteen all at the same time, causing a bottleneck to form. Everyone started to get squished up together and there was barely any breathing room.

"Ow!" Ochaco cried out as she felt being crushed.

"Quit pushing me or I'll bite you!" Setsuna yelled when someone shoved her.

"As expected of the best, everyone reacts quickly in a crisis!" Tenya grunted.

"It's not that, it's more like they are panicking quickly," Itsuka replied, using her enlarged hands to protect herself.

Momo had managed to take an advantage in leaning onto Izuku for protection, as he was capable of forming a shield to prevent people from crushing him.

"Who in the world managed to get through the security?" Izuku asked in curiosity, knowing that U.A.'s security system had to be one of the toughest in Japan. Seeing a window, he helped Momo out of the crowd and then fired energy from beneath his feet in order to reach it and look out of the window.

* * *

Aizawa and Present Mic glared at the trespassing reporters.

"Give us All Might!" One of them – which Aizawa recognized as the one that had made the same demand in the morning. "He's here, isn't he?"

"We already told you, he's not here!" Present Mic replied, annoyed at not only the constant questions of the journalists, but also at the security risk this could pose for his students.

"Just give us one brief comment and then we will leave!"

"The moment we give you one comment, you'll want another. That's just how irrational you are," Aizawa stated, wondering how the reporters had managed to get through the barrier.

"They are illegally trespassing. In fact, you could even call them villains. Do you think we could beat them up?" Present Mic whispered to Aizawa, who shook his head.

"Don't do it, Mic. Not only will it not work, then they will write a bunch of lies about you. We better wait for the police to force them out."

* * *

'_It's just the press!_' Izuku thought, getting angry at how their entitlement over wanting an interview with All Might was causing so many problems. Still, he had to let everyone know that everything was alright and ensure they would not panic further.

Looking at Momo and Itsuka, he came up with an idea.

"Momo, make me a megaphone! Itsuka, toss it to me!" He shouted, hoping it was loud enough for them to hear him. Fortunately, Momo nodded and put her right hand to her thigh, generating a megaphone she immediately gave to Itsuka, who used her big fist to throw it to Izuku. Jumping, Izuku formed a barrier just above the exit, so everyone could hear him, or rather, the sound he was already looking for in his phone, triggering a sound several of them were quite familiar with.

"_**SKREEEEEEEONNNNNK!**_"

Godzilla's Millennium roar easily caught everyone's attention, making them halt completely in their attempts to leave as fast as possible as they turned their attention to Izuku.

"_Calm down, people! It's just the media! There's nothing to worry about, the teachers have the situation under control! This is U.A., for crying out loud! Act like you have some sense and show why we are the best of the best!_" He shouted through the megaphone.

Luckily, everyone paid attention to him as they sighed in relief, finally leaving the room without struggling with each other. As police sirens approached, Izuku knew that soon the journalists would be forced to leave, and as he looked at his friends, he noticed all of them were smiling at him, and Setsuna was also giving him a thumbs up – although he suspected that was for using Godzilla.

* * *

Fortunately, the police's arrival served to settle down the situation in the doors to U.A.

"Goodbye, bad mass media! It's silence for all of ya!" Present Mic said as the press finally left as the police threatened to arrest whomever kept trying to trespass on a private property.

Above the entrance to the building, four people watched. Cementoss, with a brick-like face; Snipe and his cowboy hat, Recovery Girl with her medical fatigues and Principal Nezu. All of them watched the press leave, and noted how they had managed to get in.

"How were the ordinary members of the press able to do something like this?" Nezu wondered. "Someone instigated this. Did someone evil slip in... or was this intended to be a declaration of war?"

Before his were the remains of U.A.'s main entrance gate, somehow reduced to dust.

* * *

"Listen, heroes, you'd better not come after me, because you do, I'm killing this little family here," A giant pink villain stated, holding three civilians as hostages. The heroes he was talking to, Mt. Lady, Kamui Woods and Death Arms, were a few meters away from him, panting out of breath from fighting the villain.

"**It's fine now, family! MISSOURI SMASH!**"

A karate chop to the villain's neck effectively knocked him out, and All Might bowed to the three civilians he had just saved.

"**Why? Because I AM HERE... on my way to work!**"

"A hit-and-run!" He heard another civilian shout as a car went a lot faster than usual.

"**Nezu will have my hide for being late, but...**" All Might jumped high, and began his pursuit of the car.

'_**Am I getting... slower? Ever since I gave young Midoriya One for All, my power has been weakening. And, on top of that, after forcing myself that time, the time I can spend in this form has only become shorter. Still... I have to last. I must face 'him' if he comes back before Midoriya can deal with him!**_' All Might thought in the time it took him to reach the fleeing vehicle and smashed the engine so it would be unable to go any further.

'_**Midoriya... I hope you think carefully about what it means to have this power. If word gets out, the world might end up teaming up with those trying to steal One for All from you. For your sake and that of society, the secret must remain well guarded.**_'

The safety of his successor and the dangers bearing One for All would bring to him were paramount in his mind, but he believed Midoriya would soon be able to handle himself, especially with Superpower backing him up.

"Someone's barricaded themselves in the neighboring town!"

As soon as he heard that, All Might blasted off once again, to go resolve the issue.

* * *

"Today's Hero Basic Training will be special," Aizawa announced to the class in the aftermath of the school grounds' invasion. "Classes 1-A and 1-B will be working together, under the supervision of four instructors: All Might, Vlad King, me and a fourth you will meet in the training grounds."

'_Great, we will be able to talk with Itsuka and Setsuna!_' Izuku thought with excitement.

"Excuse me, Sensei! What will be doing?" Sero asked, and Aizawa nodded, holding out a card with the word 'RESCUE printed on it with blue letters.

"Earthquakes, shipwrecks, fires and everything in between. Today, you will learn how to act in rescue situations."

The students started to chatter with each other, their attitude ranging from anxiety to excitement.

"I am not done yet. If you want, you may wear your costume, although you may not wish to, since there are costumes that might end up limiting your abilities to act, as well," Aizawa stated, using a remote to open the compartments that contained the students' hero costumes. "The training will take place elsewhere within campus, so we are taking a bus. Start getting ready, we will be leaving within fifteen minutes."

Everyone grabbed their costumes and went to the locker room to put them on: Izuku found a note within his box, stating that 'someone' had made his requested modifications in order to reinforce it and work on his strengths. When the two classes met, Izuku saw Itsuka and Setsuna's hero costumes for the first time.

Itsuka wore a blue knee-length qipao, with a black double-breasted corset that ended just below her bust, with short black spats underneath, a brown utility belt, a satchel attached to her back, a thin black domino mask around her eyes and white-heeled navy blue boots.

As for Setsuna, she wore a blue scaly mask over her eyes, a bodysuit with a matching design and black knee-high boots, while her hands were covered in fingerless gloves with wrist guards and a belt around her waist decorated with a jewel in its center.

"W-Wow, uh, you two look great, Itsuka-chan, Setsuna-chan," Izuku complimented them, trying not to look too hard at how Itsuka's costume hugged her curves.

"Thanks, Izu-kun! Your costume looks great as well," Itsuka replied, smirking, as she stared at those perfect muscles she could see edging from underneath the costume.

"You look so cool, Izuku!" Setsuna said, walking up to him and starting to feel the muscles with her fingers, leaving Itsuka, Momo and Ochaco glaring at Setsuna with envy before deciding to imitate her, much to Izuku's discomfort.

Just a few meters away, Denki looked on with envy.

'_Damn, how does Midoriya do it?_'

"Ehm, guys?" Izuku awkwardly asked, turning red by moments.

"So, this is class 1-A, the one with the top students!" A blond boy in a tuxedo suit yelled. "They must think they are so-"

Before he could finish, though, Kendo had turned and karate-chopped him in the back of his head with her enlargened hands, stunning him.

"Sorry about that, guys," Itsuka apologized. "This is Monoma Neito. He's got a bit of an inferiority complex with you guys, but deep down he's a good guy."

"Huh, good to know," Izuku muttered, relieved that the girls had stopped getting so touchy. Sure, it felt quite nice, but there was a limit between that and getting a bit too far.

The ice being broken, the students from the hero course started to introduce themselves to each other. Several friendships rapidly formed between them, due to sharing personal interests or having similar Quirks.

"Very well, everyone get to your assigned buses now!" Aizawa ordered. The students did as ordered, and soon they were heading to their location, eager to learn more about being heroes.

* * *

On the bus, Izuku began to adjust his new reinforced gloves, while Momo and Ochaco stood next to him.

"So, the Support Course upgraded your costume, Izuku-kun?" Momo asked.

"Yeah, I asked them to have my gloves improved, so they could take as much energy as I can give to it and then transform it into strength," He explained.

"Interesting..." Ochaco muttered.

"Shoot," Tenya moped a few meters away: his plan to organize his classmates to take a seat in an orderly fashion had crashed and burned when it turned out that the bus they were going to ride were more like those in public transport. "I didn't think it would be this type of bus."

"There was no point, huh?" Mina teased him, taking advantage of the extra space to shamelessly stretch out.

"So, Midoriya-kun..." Tsuyu said, "I was wondering something. How come your Quirk seems to be a mixture of some kind of energy and All Might's Quirk?"

Izuku froze a bit at her statement, and tried to come up with an answer before Eijiro intervened.

"Whoa, hold up there. Midoriya's Quirk is energy projection. Sure, he's strong, but it's not _All Might _strong."

'_Thanks, Eijiro, I dodged that one,_' Izuku thought in relief.

"But, it's nice to have versatile Quirks that let you do multiple things, and yours is really awesome! It lets you do lots of flashy stuff! My Hardening's strong in a fight, but it doesn't look like much," Eijiro continued, letting sharp edges appear on his left arm.

"Well, I think it's actually cool," Izuku said, latching onto the different subject to prevent further discussion about his own Quirk. "Your Quirk's more than enough to pass off as a Pro's, you know?"

"A Pro's, huh?" Eijiro smiled. "But it feels like it is not enough – you also have to think about your popularity as a Hero."

"My Navel Laser is Pro-level in both flashiness and strength," Yuga said with a confident smile.

"If it weren't for the fact that too much use gives you a stomachache..." Mina fired back, giggling at the Frenchman's annoyed face.

"Well, if you're talking about flashy and strong, then it's gotta be Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki, our monster trio here!" Eijiro stated, nodding to where the latter two were seating. "Though, do you think Class 1-B has them as well?"

"Though, Bakugo's always mad, so he isn't likely to become very popular, though," Tsuyu said bluntly, causing the mentioned to stand up from his seat and glare at her.

"The hell you talking about? You wanna fight?" Bakugo yelled.

"You like to prove my point, don't you?" Tsuyu asked.

"We haven't known each other for long, so it's amazing that everyone already knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage," Denki commented.

"What's with that vocabulary, you bastard? I'll kill you!" Bakugo hypocritically shouted as he turned his glare to the electrical boy.

"Funny that Bakugo isn't that popular here, same as in middle school. Things never change," Izuku said with a chuckle.

"Such a tasteless conversation," Momo stated, closing her eyes and sighing.

"I don't know, I like stuff like this," Ochaco replied, cheering her friend.

"We are here. You better not mess around while you are in this class," Aizawa stated as the driver began to brake the bus in front of their destination.

"Yes, Sensei!"

As the classes got off the bus, they were greeted by an interesting sight: a person wearing what appeared to be a white astronaut suit with a helmet that had two white eyes, and, quite startlingly, a pair of yellow boots. Those who liked Heroes recognized the individual immediately.

"Ohmahgodohmahgodohmahgod, it's the Space Hero Thirteen!" Ochaco squealed, accidentally slipping into what Izuku thought must have been her hometown accent as she met one of her favorite heroes. "The one who has rescued thousands of people from disasters!"

"Such a heroic soul, always rescuing those in need," A girl with what appeared to be vines on her head praised.

"A real hero, indeed," Monoma noted.

"Let's go inside without delay, students," Thirteen said.

"We look forward to working with you!" The heroes in training said as they followed their teachers inside the facility.

When the students entered the domed building, they were amazed by the sight that presented before them. Around a tranquil garden were multiple zones where different activities related to rescue training could be performed, like one section covered in water to serve as shipwreck training and another that simulated having to act in a large-scale fire – everything had been built to simulate real-time disasters.

"Wow, it looks like USJ!" Mina said, grinning.

"Interesting comment, young lady, for we call this facility the 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint', or USJ for short!" Thirteen replied, apparently amused. "We have a shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, an earthquake... any situation where people might be in need of being rescued can be trained in here!"

'_It really is like USJ..._' The students thought as Aizawa and Vlad King approached Thirteen.

"Thirteen, where's All Might? He's supposed to be here," Class 1-A's homeroom teacher asked.

"Ah, about that..." Thirteen held up three fingers before continuing in a lower voice. "It seems that he overdid it on hero work on the way here and he already reached his limit. He's currently resting at the lounge back at U.A."

Aizawa sighed.

"That's the height of irrationality. I thought he would have already moved in. Well, we took precautions just in case... it can't be helped. So, shall we begin?"

"Hmph, let's get started. I think that my class will do better than yours, though," Vlad King boasted as Thirteen huffed.

"Let's see... before we begin, let me say one thing... er... two, or three... no, four... five... six... seven..."

The feeling of sweat dropping down their necks was something the students felt they would be quite familiar with.

'_Why is the number increasing so much?_'

"Oh, yes. Everyone, I am sure you are all aware of my Quirk, Black Hole. I can suck up anything and turn it to dust," The Space Hero said as they explained their Quirk.

"You've been able to use it to save people from all kinds of disasters, right?" Izuku asked.

"Indeed... but this is a power that can easily kill other people. Some of you also have Quirks like that, right?"

Izuku looked at his hands, knowing quite well what Thirteen was talking about.

"In a superhuman society, personal Quirks have been certified and stringently regulated, so at first glance it might not seem like a problem. But you must not forget that one wrong step can ensure that almost any Quirk can kill another person. With the Quirk Apprehension Test, you found out about the possibilities your own Quirks have for physical use, while yesterday's combat training allowed you to experience the danger of using those powers against other people in a controlled environment. This class... is a fresh start. You will learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives. You do not have powers so you can harm others: at the end of this class, I hope you will have the understanding that the true use of your Quirks is to aid others. That is all. Thank you for listening."

The students clapped at their speech as Thirteen took a bow.

"That was so inspirational," Izuku praised.

"This is why Thirteen is my favorite hero!" Ochaco said with an enthusiastic applause.

"Alright," Aizawa came forward, "let's get started. First-"

But before he could continue, the lights went off, only letting what natural light could come from outside do the job. In the middle of the USJ, a purple portal appeared, and out of it came a man with multiple hands clasped around his body, followed by a being that seemed to be made out of purple mist.

"Gather up and don't move!" Aizawa shouted, shocking the students.

"Do as Aizawa says!" Vlad roared, readying himself for combat. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Fearing that something was wrong, the students followed their teachers' orders, staring at the mysterious intruders – as more and more came through the misty portal, all of them with unique Quirks that made them stand out in one or another way. The most prominent one being a giant humanoid whose brain was visible, that was now standing next to the man with the hands.

"Is this like the Entrance Exam? Do you think the lesson already started?" Eijiro muttered, although he was clearly not sure about it.

"DON'T MOVE!" Vlad commanded while Aizawa put on his yellow goggles.

"Aizawa-sensei, what's going on? This... doesn't seem right," Izuku asked, really hoping that his fears were unfounded.

"Those are Villains..." Aizawa replied, his capture cloth prepared.

Izuku's eyes widened in shock.

Somehow, a large group of Villains had managed to get into one of Japan's best protected places...

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Continuing Universe Theme_ from _River City Melee_ for the Class Representative Vote**

**Me: That wraps up part one. Izuku has a strange dream! Setsuna is liking Izuku more for using Godzilla to quiet the crowd! Momo and Itsuka are representatives in their respective classes! Class 1A and 1B join up together in USJ! A fight between the heroes and villains commence!**

**Sorry for the lack of tracks here, there will be more tracks for the next chapter. **

**That's all for now folks, s****o please review, fave, follow, or all of the above. **

**However NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS and you will stomped by Godzilla, but if it's criticism then I'm totally okay with that, no hard feelings. No guest reviews, I will delete them.**

**Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	6. Unforeseen Simulation Pt2

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now we are at the season one finale of this story and after this chapter I will be making an original chapter before the Sports Festival arc.**

**I like to call out two flamers named '****Arsinis' and '****trollking01' ****as ****I don't appreciate you two insulting my story, so get lost jerks, I don't need reviewers like you****.**

**Anyways, just to let you people know I will be doing the My Hero Academia movie later on in the story.**

**Milarqui: Even more things to correct from this otherwise cool story!**

**With that out of the way, let's begin!**

**Chapter 6: ****Unforeseen Simulation ****Part 2**

* * *

"Eraserhead, Thirteen and Vlad King, huh?" the Villain that seemed to be made of a purple mist pointed out. "According to the teacher's schedule we received the other day, All Might was the one supposed to be here, not Vlad King. And I see... forty students, instead of twenty."

"So, the trespassers from the other day were these scumbags, huh?" Aizawa muttered, scowling.

"Where is he?" The man with the hands all over his arms and face asked. "WHERE IS ALL MIGHT! I even went through the trouble of bringing all these people here! All Might... the Symbol of Peace... do you think he will come if we kill some kids?"

The malice in the man's voice was obvious: for students and teachers alike, it was obvious that killing innocent students to bait the Symbol of Peace wouldn't be beyond him. The students felt the shivers falling down their spines. But, for Izuku, hearing the threat made him clench his fists in anger as he glared at the one who seemed to be the leader.

"Villains? Here? How did they get in?" Eijiro shouted, stunned at the fact that a whole gang of Villains had just suddenly showed up, out of nowhere, and were now considering to kill him and his friends.

"There's no way they could get into a Hero school!" Tetsutetsu, the Class 1-B student Eijiro had befriended, added, even though contradicting proof was in front of him.

"Sensei... what about the trespasser sensors?" Momo whispered to Thirteen; the security alarms should have gone off the moment the Villains arrived.

"We have them, of course, but..." Thirteen responded while nodding, although hesitance showed in their voice.

"Are they only here, or at the whole school?" Todoroki said, deducing what could be the problem. "Either way, if the sensors aren't working, that means someone among them must have a Quirk that's disabling them."

"And, since we are in an isolated area separated from the main campus," Monoma continued, dropping his usual smug attitude for once, "during a time when we are supposed to be here, that means nobody in the main building knows what's happening here. They might be fools... but they are quite smart."

"This surprise attack was carefully planned with some sort of goal in mind," Yui suggested, her stoic face breaking down in the face of such danger. Izuku nodded.

"They probably were the ones behind yesterday's trespassing – one of them must have used the distraction caused by the press to slip in unnoticed and steal a copy of today's class schedule," He said, staring at the threat in front of them.

"Thirteen, start the evacuation. Make sure they remain safe. These Villains even had something to counteract the sensors and jam the communications – it's possible someone with radio-wave type powers is interfering," Aizawa ordered, turning to look at Denki. "Kaminari, try contacting the school with your Quirk as well, we might need help."

"Yes, sir!" The blond boy replied, placing his hand on a device he had on his right ear, as he tried to send a signal.

"Class Representatives, organize your classes! Make sure you keep track of everyone, got it!" Vlad King barked.

"Wait a minute, what about you two? You're actually going to try to fight all of these Villains by yourselves?" Izuku asked, worried.

"Yeah, let us help out as well!" Eijiro added.

"Kirishima, one thing you will learn is that you can't be a good Pro Hero by being a one-trick pony," Aizawa stated.

Before Eraserhead and Vlad King could take off, Izuku stopped them for a moment.

"Wait! Senseis, could you both give me a hand for a moment?" He requested. Both teachers looked bemused, but nonetheless showed trust in him by holding out their hands. Izuku grabbed them and sent a burst of energy into them. Suddenly, Aizawa felt like he was on his prime, all his exhaustion from the night patrols vanishing, while Kan felt a surge in his stamina and energy.

Both of them stared at Izuku, amazement clearly seen on their faces, as Izuku smiled at them.

"I figured you two would like a power up, but be careful, because it is temporary," Izuku said before rejoining his friends.

"That's some student you have there, Shota," Kan commented, and Aizawa nodded.

"That kid's a surprise every day," Aizawa replied as they prepared themselves for the fight of their lives. "I'm leaving it to you, Thirteen!"

Both teachers jumped down the stairs and thrust themselves towards the Villain mob.

* * *

"Shooting Squad, let's go!" One of the villains, who had gun barrels for fingers, said as he saw the two teachers coming towards them.

"Didn't the boss say it would be just Thirteen and All Might? Who the hell are those two?" A female Villain with long grey floating hair asked. Like everyone else in the mob, they were underestimating the two Heroes charging them.

"I don't know! But if they think they can come at us from the front by themselves... then they are huge idiots!" Another Villain stated as they aimed at Eraserhead and Vlad King.

However, when the Villain with the gun fingers tried to use it, suddenly it did not work as expected.

"Huh... my Quirk... the bullets won't come out!"

The other two experienced the same trouble, as their Quirks had seemingly stopped working.

Eraserhead took advantage of their confusion to extend his capture cloth and grab the three of them, making them hit each other in their heads and knocking them out.

"Idiots, he's Eraserhead! He can erase Quirks just by looking at you!"

'_Damned media, always screwing with me,_' Aizawa thought as he turned to next group.

"Erase?" A large Villain, this one with multiple arms around his body, said as he charged the Hero. "Are you gonna erase the Quirks of Mutation-type Villains like us, too?"

"No, unfortunately I am unable," Aizawa replied, easily dodging the attacker's first strike and punching him square in the face. "But the skill of guys like you..."

Suddenly, the capture cloth shot out and wrapped itself around the Villain's leg as Eraserhead dodged a second punch and he countered with a kick.

"... are statistically more likely to manifest in close combat..."

Pulling from the cloth, the multi-armed Villain was sent flying against a crowd of goons, throwing the group to the ground and taking them out of combat.

"... so I have taken measures against that," Eraserhead said confidently as he easily manhandled what were clearly the cannon fodder minions.

A group of four Villains tried to attack him from the back, but Vlad intercepted them and in two swings managed to knock them out, his punches so hard and fast that one's face was not enough to stop them.

"Got you!" A burly looking Villain shouted as he tried to punch Vlad, only for him to easily catch the fist with one hand. Suddenly, blood came gushing out of his gauntlet, ensnaring the Villain's hand: Vlad King's power allowed him an impressive level of control over his own blood, being able to use it as a weapon.

"Hey, let me go!" The Villain said, struggling to get loose. For all answer, the Hero started to use the Villain as an improvised weapon, spinning him around to hit any Villain within range as if he were using him as a maul, before slamming him against the ground several times and tossing him away at another in the distance – making it land next to the leader, the one with the portal quirk and the large blue monstrosity.

"Those two teachers are doing well against our group," The mist said, analyzing the fight.

"Damn, do I hate Pro Heroes," The hands guy stated, annoyed, as he scratched his neck. "The rabble don't stand a chance against them."

Behind his glasses, Eraserhead blinked, and the mist guy – who had been the target of Eraserhead's Quirk – slipped away.

'_Damn it! I just blinked for a second, and the one who looks like the most trouble escapes,_' Eraserhead mentally shout as he and Vlad King got surrounded by the mob of Villains, which prevented them from going to aid the students.

"Wow..." Hitoshi said in admiration: ever since Aizawa took him under his wing to train close quarters combat, he had considered him his favorite teacher, and the skills the man was demonstrating were nothing short of amazing for him.

"No time to watch, Hitoshi, we have to get going!" Izuku said as he had his classmate run faster. The group of forty students, led by their representatives, were now reaching the exit, but as they did a purple mist appeared in front of them, allowing the Villain to appear.

"I won't let you all get away that easily." Kurogiri said as he blocked their path.

Noticing the students' predicament, Ken used his blood to form two large clubs and started to swat the Villains around, clearing a path for Aizawa to use.

"I'll take care of them, you go now!" Vlad shouted at him, and Aizawa rushed, regretting to have to leave his partner behind, but the safety of the students was paramount.

"Greetings, nice to meet you all. We are the League of Villains," Said the misty man. "Forgive our audacity, but today, we have come here to U.A. High School, this bastion of heroism... to end the life of All Might, take the last breath of the Symbol of Peace. He may not be here, but my role in this remains unchanged."

"Like hell that's going to ever happen," Izuku fired back, narrowing his eyes. "I'd like to see you try!"

Before Thirteen could use their Quirk, Bakugo, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu all charged in: the latter two hardened their bodies as they swang at him, while Bakugo aimed at Kurogiri with both hands, letting out an explosion. All three hits landed their hits on the Villain, creating a cloud of smoke.

"Hah! Did you consider that you'd get beaten by us before you did it?" Eijiro yelled, taunting the Villain.

"Yeah, take that!" Tetsutetsu said, high-fiving Eijiro.

"Oh, dear, that was dangerous..."

The cloud cleared out, and soon the villain was shown to be completely intact after the sudden assault, shocking the students.

"You may be students, but you are still excellent golden eggs," he praised.

"No! Move away, you three!" Thirteen yelled, trying to warn the three students away before using their Black Hole.

Eraserhead had managed to reach the stairs that led to the exit, following the students as they tried to reach the exit, only to have to dodge to a side as something crashed into the stairs next to him.

"Vlad? What happened to you?"

"That damned bird thing with the brain sticking out attacked me!" Vlad grunted, slowly picking himself up. "They call it Noumu, and it sent me flying even with my blood shield up. Its strength is insane! You keep going, Eraserhead! I'll handle this!"

Meanwhile, the mist Villain stretched out his mist, covering the students as they tried to find a way to escape.

"My job... is to scatter you all and torture you to death!" He yelled, finally enveloping the entire class with his purple mist. Izuku tried to form an energy barrier, but before he could a portal opened up under him, separating him from the others.

* * *

As soon as he realized he had come through the portal, Izuku formed a barrier beneath his feat, in order to land safely into what looked like several ruins.

_'A warping Quirk? I don't know of any Villain that has that,'_ Izuku thought, looking around. Above him, three other students were also falling, and he sent several barriers their way so they would be able to land safely. Before he could go to them, though, he got interrupted.

"Well, well, look who dropped in," One Villain remarked. "Come on, let's get him!"

Five Villains charged against Izuku, who prepared his fist, charging it with both One for All and Superpower, and then blasted it toward them.

"**King Kong SMASH!**" Izuku shouted, striking the air – and sending a good part of the Villains flying, due to the force behind his fist.

Several more Villains tried to jump him, and Izuku was ready to counter, but before he did the ground below the Villains suddenly turned liquid, making them sink until they were up to their necks, moment in which the ground turned solid once more. Turning around, Izuku saw Hitoshi along with the other two boys that had fallen in this zone, one with a striped headband and the other pale-skinned with angular eyes, whose hands were on the ground.

"Thanks for the save," Izuku said, approaching them.

"It was a close call," The boy with the headband said. "Fortunately, Juzo here managed to use his Quirk in time to trap these Villains."

The Villains tried to break free, but to no avail: the ground was now as dense as it had been before they were sunk, and without purchase nor useful Quirks they would be stuck for the duration.

"We shouldn't stay here congratulating each other; we need to regroup with the others as soon as possible."

"You are completely right, partner," Juzo said, turning his eyes to the shivering Villains, "but first let's interrogate one of them."

* * *

_Landslide Zone_

"There he is!"

"Get him!"

Mashirao had never been in this kind of huge fight, where all was acceptable and nothing was held back. Still, though, he reveled in this chance of going at it full charge, using his great martial arts skills to pummel anyone who tried to approach him while he used his tail to cover his back, even causing two Villains to strike each other when he jumped out of their way.

Kojiro, a large and muscular young man who had a strange head in the shape of a dispenser was attacked by a group of Villains, only for him to start spraying a sticky liquid at them, to then harden it and keep them all stuck.

Yui found herself surrounded by four villains, who were leering at her.

"Well, little girl, looks like you are alone and outnumbered," one of them said, eyes greedy as he looked at her.

"I wouldn't count on that," Yui countered.

"_BOOM!_"

Suddenly, a giant kanji appeared behind two of the Villains and exploded, flattening them while Yui grabbed two rocks from her pockets and threw them at the other two. The Villains nearly scoffed at her throwing pebbles, but then she put her fingers together and the pebbles became large pieces of rubble again, knocking them cold when they got hit in the head.

"Manga," Yui acknowledged as her classmate, a short man whose most striking feature was that his head looked like a speech bubble. "Thank you for your assistance."

"Always a pleasure to aid a friend," Manga replied, showing a smiling emoticon in his face. Mashirao reached them, glad that the two were alright, and looked around.

"Where's Neito?" he asked.

"I'm right here," The blond teen said, jumping down next to them with the aid of a tail that looked exactly like Mashirao's. "Not only did I take care of my fair share of Villains, I also found the exit!"

Yui and Manga sighed while Kojiro shook his head; sometimes, Neito could get a tad too conceited.

"Were there any others here besides us?" Manga asked.

"Nope, it's just the five of us. Let's join our classmates again!"

* * *

_Mountain Zone_

Momo, Mina, Itsuka and Ibara landed in what appeared to be a zone for training in mountain rescue, near a group of Villains who began to leer at them.

"Oh, good, looks like we have ourselves some girls we can have our fun with!" One of them said.

While Ibara closed her eyes and put her hands together as if in prayer, the others narrowed their eyes and growled.

"Hmph, good luck with that!" Mina replied, ready for a confrontation, and the Villain chuckled.

"I see they want it the hard way, boys! Let's-"

Ibara opened her eyes, and suddenly her vine hair came alive and lashed out against the Villains.

"**Crucifixion.**"

Seconds later, half the Villains were suspended in the air, tied hands and feet, unable to move from the large vines holding them in place.

"May there be mercy from the Lord's judgement," Ibara stated, crossing herself, as her partners began to lash out.

Enlarging her fist, Itsuka engaged in battle against the Villains that were still free. One Villain nearly attacked her on her back, but a large rock hit him on the head just as another student, this one with pale gray hair, appeared from another place.

"Thanks, Reiko!" Itsuka said, giving her a thumbs up before resuming her fight.

Momo had already created a metal staff and had launched herself into the fight, utterly stunning the Villains, who did not know how to counter her rapid swings, and as Mina started to throw globs of acid at them a few of those who were yet to engage decided to cut their losses and run away.

* * *

_Conflagration Zone_

"Crap!"

"RUN AWAY!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! THESE KIDS ARE CRAZY!"

The Villains that had been sent to this zone had expected an easy fight, on account of their victims being teenagers with no experience in fighting.

They were not expecting having to face Bakugo Katsuki, who was probably one of the few people that could surpass them in savagery, and who was now chasing them as they ran away through the fire-infested urban environment. Much less the enthusiasm of his two confederates.

"Come back here and DIE!" Bakugo shouted, using his explosions to propel himself after them.

"Hey, Bakugo, leave some of them for us!" Eijiro shouted as he ran behind his classmate.

"Yeah, we want to have some fun as well!" Tetsutetsu agreed, seeking any Villain that may have hidden close by.

A few meters away, a lightly tanned, black haired Chinese boy sighed at the extreme... display of passion demonstrated by the three.

"Why did we have to get stuck with these three, Jirou-san?" He asked the only partner that had not run after the Villains.

"I have two of those hotheads as my classmates, Rin-san," Kyoka answered, walking beside him. "You eventually get used to it."

A Villain that had managed to remain hidden from the three hotheads' assault attempted to stab Rin from behind, but the knife broke on the scales the Chinese teenager had created in the last second. The Villain remained stunned at his failure long enough for Kyoka's ear jacks to whip him, setting him up for Rin to punch the daylights out of him.

"I guess you make a fair point," Rin nonchalantly replied as the two increased their pace to catch up to the others.

* * *

_Flood Zone_

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Denki cried as he fell from a large height into the water. Fortunately, it was not so high as to hurt him, and he did not go too deep, so he managed to reach the surface quickly. Looking around scared, he noticed something brushing against his ankle, prompting him to swim away just as a shark-like Villain appeared.

"Oh, look, food has arrived!" The Villain said, grinning.

Before he could attack, though, Tsuyu arrived and landed a brutal dropkick on his head, stunning him and allowing her to jump off and grab Denki with her tongue, while a chubby boy with ice blue hair held onto her, muttering gratefulness to his savior.

Nearby, Hanta had been holding to a horse-like girl when they were warped away, and as they fell he noticed there was a boat nearby, so he shot a tape towards the boat, dragging himself and his companion to safety. The girl pointed him to their other classmates, and Hanta shot another tape that a grateful Asui grabbed onto, allowing her to throw the two boys she had saved onto the deck before jumping in herself.

"Nirengeki-san!" The girl said, helping the boy to his feet while Hanta did the same with Denki and Tsuyu at the same time. Looking around, Hanta nodded.

"It's just the five of us in this zone," He said.

"How many more out there?" The girl asked in somewhat broken Japanese.

"No idea – but there's going to be more Villains around, we need to get to the shore fast," Tsuyu pointed out.

"Guys... I think we are getting surrounded," Nirengeki said, pointing to a fin that was sticking out of the water as its owner circled the boat.

"You are going to die!" Someone said from the water, causing Nirengeki to shiver.

Hanta and Tsuyu thought until they looked at each other and then, smiling, at Denki, who raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked.

"Salt water conducts electricity. The Villains are in salt water. Your Quirk produces electricity," Tsuyu explained.

"Ahh, hehe," Denki replied, chuckling.

Tsuyu turned to the two 1-B students.

"Names and Quirks, please?"

"I am Pony, I can launch the horns that grow on my head very quickly and control the last four I have shot," The girl said.

"Nirengeki. Any attack I can see, I cause it to repeat in the same point, but several times stronger than the initial impact," Nirengeki explained.

Tsuyu put a finger on her chin before looking at Hanta. "I want you to tape the top deck for us to stand on."

"Channeling your inner Midoriya? On it!" Hanta replied, immediately starting to do as she said. Tsuyu turned to Pony.

"You have to use your horns to launch Denki into the water, and you, Nirengeki, use your Quirk to shoot him further. Then, Denki, you throw a big lightning and fry these Villains."

"Aye, aye!" Denki said, and soon all of them were standing on Hanta's tape, with Pony and Nirengeki behind Denki.

"Now," Tsuyu said.

"**Horn Dash Hammer!**" Pony shouted, launching two horns and shooting Denki out into the water. Nirengeki looked at the horns, and when he saw their speed was flagging activated his Quirk, shooting Denki even further as he charged up his electricity. The Villains looked on in confusion, only to turn to fear as they realized their predicament.

"MEGAVOLT!" Denki screamed, and a blast of lightning traveled from his body to all the Villains, electrocuting them all instantly as Pony controlled her horns to bring Denki back.

"That was awesome! I took them all out!" Denki said, smiling with the pride of victory.

"Nice job, everyone!" Hanta complimented everyone. "Now, we need to get back to the shore. Pony, can you get us there with your horns?"

"It will be hard, but I can do it!" Pony assured.

"Let's go, then!" Tsuyu said.

* * *

_Downpour Zone_

Shoto was impassive as he finished freezing the five Villains that had threatened him and his classmates: in his opinion, since they were unwilling to show mercy, he would not show any in return.

Nearby, Toru and a boy with short hair, who had earlier presented himself as Kosei, were running away from the Villains, who were clearly unamused at having to do this under heavy rainfall.

"Hey!"

"Get back here!"

"Yeah, this will only hurt more if you keep running!"

Kosei blew air in the direction of the Villains and used his Quirk to solidify it, forming a Wall several of them crashed against and slowing down the rest as he and Toru headed into a building. The Villains, after recovering their wits, followed their trail, only to find themselves in a dark pitch black area.

"Where did they go?"

"I really don't like being in the dark?"

"Did one of you just touch me?"

Everyone went silent in fear – until a pair of yellow eyes shone above an evil grin. The Villains screamed and were unable to react as Dark Shadow pummeled them all, knocking them out quickly.

A few moments later, Toru and Kosei left the building, accompanied by Fumikage and another boy, this one white-haired and black-skinned, called Shihai.

"Thank you for luring them to us. I apologize for having to use you two as the bait," Fumikage said, offering Toru the jacket he had purloined from one of the Villains Dark Shadow had just knocked out, so she could cover herself from the downpour.

"Oh, it was nothing. I got the thrill of being chased!" Kosei grinned.

"I didn't mind, as long as I got to help," Toru replied, gratefully putting on the jacket. Even if she was used to it, going out without clothes in the rain was a miserable experience.

"And I believe it was finely done, Fumikage-san, how they lured the hunters and we turned them into prey," Shihai said, smiling. "You and I are going to be very good friends, indeed."

The group began to step up as they walked through the rainy area, intent on reaching the exit.

* * *

_Central Plaza_

'_It seems not everyone was transported by my warp. I will need to make sure they cannot escape,_' Kurogiri, the purple mist Villain, thought as he kept guarding the gate.

Ochaco, Koji, Sato, Mezo, Yuga, Tenya, Sen, Kinoko, Togaru, Jurota and Setsuna were the only students that had avoided getting sucked into a portal, and they were trying to come up with ideas as Thirteen prepared themselves.

"Students, when the opportunity comes, whoever is the fastest is to get out of here and run towards the main building, and alert the staff," Thirteen ordered.

"Discussing your plans in front of me is quite the foolish thing to do," Kurogiri said.

"It isn't foolish when you can't do anything to prevent it from happening!" Thirteen exclaimed before flipping open a finger cap and activating their Black Hole Quirk.

* * *

Denki, Hanta, Nirengeki, Pony and Tsuyu managed to reach the edge of the Flood Zone thanks to Pony's horns and returned to the plaza, where their teachers were still fighting. Knowing that they would probably only get in the way, the five decided to hide and observe.

Multiple unconscious Villains laid across the floor, as Eraserhead – who in the end had been unable to aid his students due to the intervention of the Noumu – and Vlad King kept on effortless dealing with all those that were clearly cannon fodder Villains. Tying up two people with his cloth and throwing them against others, Aizawa looked up to see the one with the many hands charging at him with his right hand in front.

"23 seconds..." The hands-man said as he ran.

"What the hell?" Eraserhead said, throwing his cloth away in an attempt to immobilize him, only for the Villain to grab the edge of the cloth and pull himself closer to him.

"24 seconds... 20 seconds... 17 seconds..."

Aizawa attempted to elbow the Villain in the chest, only to be blocked at the last second, as the Villain held Aizawa's elbow in a tight grip.

"Damn," Aizawa muttered as he realized his attack had failed.

"That's how long your Quirk remains active. And the time it is active grows shorter and shorter as you use it. Don't push yourself, Eraserhead," he said, gripping the elbow with all of his fingers. Whatever was meant to happen, it did not, and Aizawa took advantage of it to punch him and jump away. "WHAT? WHY DIDN'T IT WORK!"

Looking to his elbow, Aizawa saw a yellow green glow before it disappeared.

'_Looks like Midoriya's power-up fought whatever Quirk this Villain has,_' He thought: he would have to thank the kid later.

The cannon fodder, believing Eraserhead to be distracted, decided to get the jump on him – only to be quickly intercepted and swatted away by Vlad King, who had turned his blood into a large club.

"I don't know what happened there, but that Quirk of yours isn't suited for long fights against a large group, is it? Isn't this too different from your usual job? And, even then, you two chose to jump right in to fight us from the front. Was that to put your students at ease?" The hands man said, taunting both teachers, who were still able to fight without showing any signs of exhaustion.

Eraserhead lamented the fact that he was actually getting fatigued: much to his dislike, he was not made for this kind of fighting, and with the power-up wearing off, continuing was getting harder, not something he really wanted. The two Heroes, by silent agreement, decided to turn to the young man who was leading this attack, hoping to put an end to the fight quickly.

"You're all so cool! By the way, Heroes... I'm not the final boss!"

'_Final boss?_' Aizawa thought, before he heard noise to the side and turned, only to see Vlad King getting pounded into the ground by the blue abomination before it turned its attention to him and roared.

* * *

"Black Hole... a Quirk that sucks up everything and turns it into dust," Kurogiri said as Thirteen approached him. "I see. That is an astounding Quirk. However, Thirteen, you are a hero who works to rescue people from disasters. That means that your battle experience is a lot lower than that of other heroes."

Kurogiri opened another portal, and suddenly the back of Thirteen's hero suit was ripped open by their own Quirk, much to the horror of the students.

"H-he got me," Thirteen wheezed in great pain, falling to the ground. Tenya, even though he was scared, realized this was a good opportunity and headed for the exit.

"I can't let you do that," Kurogiri said, turning to the scion of the Iida family. "If the other teachers are called here, it will become harder for us."

"Then let me make sure it's hard for you!" Togaru shouted, blades coming out of his arms as he jumped on Kurogiri.

"Such a naïve fool..." Kurogiri said, warping Togaru. Another warp hole suddenly appeared behind Kinoko, and Setsuna pushed her out of the way just in time, as Togaru came through the hole and...

_Slash!_

Setsuna's body was neatly sliced in three parts, as her classmate looked in horror for how his attempt to help had caused a friend's death. Her head rolled to the ground, the top half followed, and later the same happened with the rest.

"Hahaha, she has fallen!" Kurogiri laughed. "Struck down by her own classmate! This will not look good for U.A."

Tenya begged for forgiveness for having to leave his classmates behind, but he kept running for the door.

"You are being impudent, boy! Be gone!" Kurogiri shouted, floating towards Tenya.

That was when Ochaco noticed something: a metal plate within the dark mist.

'_I don't know how he's doin' this, but if he's wearin' somethin' like that, then he's got a physical body!_' She thought, and then she decided to take the risk: she jumped forward and grabbed onto the metal plate, activating her Quirk and throwing the plate – and Kurogiri – into the air.

"Go, Tenya-kun!" She cried out, as Mezo took advantage of the distraction to help pry open the door.

"My body!" Kurogiri exclaimed, surprised by the unexpected attack, as he was thrown in the air. Due mostly to his body being a mist, he managed to regain stability, but Ochaco's attack had critically thrown him off. And, before he could try to warp Tenya and Mezo, something else came up.

"SURPRISE!" Setsuna shouted, her smirking head suddenly floating in front of the Villain. This shocked him long enough to stall him, before Setsuna's legs, thrown in the air by Sato and Jurota, flew in and kicked Kurogiri away.

And, just in time, Tenya and Mezo managed to open the door.

"RUN! RUN, TENYA!" Everyone shouted as the bespectacled boy pushed every bit of power he had into his engine, kicking up to his highest gear and speeding his way back to U.A.'s main building.

"He's going to call for support," Kurogiri sighed. He had made a large mistake: not only had he underestimated the will of these teenagers to protect and help each other, he had thought that girl dead when he should have seen that no blood had come out even as she got sliced. "It's game over."

Warping himself away, he went to his leader: he had to be warned, and both of them had to leave before the Pro Heroes found out about the situation and came in.

* * *

Aizawa laid broken on the ground. Trying to erase the Noumu's Quirk had not had any effect on the abomination, who had simply manhandled him like a doll, smashing his head against the ground and breaking his arm: whatever Quirk it had, the Noumu was just that strong on its own.

"You can erase Quirks," The hands man said in a taunting voice as Eraserhead kept being manhandled by the Noumu. "That's wonderful, but it's nothing impressive. In the face of overwhelming power, you might as well be Quirkless."

Aizawa activated his Quirk again, his eyes turning red as he stared straight at the abomination, only for it to be apparently unaffected and snap his other arm.

'_Almost like... breaking a twig. I erased his Quirk... that means... he's that strong. Maybe as much... as All Might..._' He thought, before the monster picked his head again and smashed it through the ground. Even through his pain, he could take a bit of comfort in that he was still alive.

Tsuyu and the others remained hidden away: as much as they wanted to help their homeroom teachers, they knew that they would not last long against the monster if it went after them.

Just then, a purple mist appeared next to the hands man, and Kurogiri stepped out of the portal.

"Shigaraki Tomura," Kurogiri spoke, getting the man's attention.

"Kurogiri, did you kill Thirteen?" Shigaraki asked.

"I put Thirteen out of action, but unfortunately the students were more resourceful than I expected, and those I was unable to disperse managed to help one of their own to run away."

"Huh?" Shigaraki began to scratch his neck angrily. "Kurogiri... you... if your warp Quirk weren't our only ride out of here, I would destroy you here and now!"

Sighing, he stopped scratching his neck.

"We can't win against dozens of Pros. It is game over, man. Game over this time. Let's go home."

Denki hugged Tsuyu in joy at hearing that, while Pony and Nirengeki carefully rose from the water.

"I guess we should be safe now," Hanta sighed.

"Not yet. Not until they leave. Something's wrong here," Tsuyu replied, naturally suspicious.

Shigaraki turned his head a little.

"Oh, yeah. Before we leave, let's smash some of his pride..."

In the blink of an eye, he was running towards them, his hand aiming straight at Tsuyu's face, grinning like a maniac.

"... as the Symbol of Peace!"

Before they could react, Shigaraki had already placed his hand on Tsuyu's head. Much to his shock and her relief, nothing happened.

"Damn it," Tomura clicked his tongue. "You are really good, Eraserhead."

Aizawa had struggled, fought through his pain, and he had managed to raise his head enough that he could glare at Shigaraki, activating his Quirk just in time to save his student. Shigaraki tilted his head, and the Noumu promptly moved to slap Aizawa's head against the floor again. Before he could, though, Shigaraki was forced to let go of Tsuyu to avoid getting impaled by a blood spear. The Villain looked to the source: Vlad King was glaring at him, his arm extended as a trail of blood came out from his hand.

"I will not let you harm my students," The Hero growled before collapsing: the attack had been a last-ditch effort that had drained the last of his energy.

Tsuyu took advantage of this to jump back into the water and swim away, while Hanta and Pony carried the others away. However, a portal suddenly appeared and warped Tsuyu right back in front of Shigaraki.

"Did you think I was gonna let you get away?" The villain said, inches away of putting his whole hand on Tsuyu's face.

"_**LET GO OF HER!**_" A voice roared. Izuku suddenly appeared next to Shigaraki, glaring with fury at him as his right arm was already prepared to punch the Villain, arcs of lightning running over him as he threw his attack. "**SMASH!**"

Releasing his attack, he felt his fist impact on flesh. The gust of wind the attack created forced Tsuyu away from Shigaraki, and a cloud of dust was produced, covering Izuku.

"You move well," Shigaraki said, much to Izuku's shock: that punch should have sent him flying away. "Your 'Smash'... are you a follower of All Might's?"

The dust cleared, and Izuku was left looking at purple skin, and looking up he saw the face of a monster. Somehow, the Noumu had managed to move fast enough to act as a shield for Shigaraki. Looking beyond, Izuku's eyes widened in horror as he saw his teacher slowly bleeding out on the ground: if he was not healed soon, he was going to die.

"Oh, well. I'm done with you."

The Noumu grabbed Izuku's left arm and squeezed it as tightly as possible, causing him to yell in pain. Not wanting to see his teacher die, Izuku turned his eyes to the monster, glaring at him in fury.

"Let go!" He shouted, but the Noumu said nothing as he stared back, before it raised its other arm. "I said LET GO!"

Izuku charged Superpower through his free hand and threw a devastating punch to the stomach – one the monster truly felt, as it screeched in pain while letting go of Izuku.

"WHAT?" Shigaraki yelled in disbelief: whatever he had expected to happen, it was not a kid making the Noumu budge with one punch. Taking advantage of the distraction, Izuku followed it up with a brutal kick to the face, sending the monster farther away from him as he ran to Aizawa's side.

For those present, the shock was absolute: Tsuyu, Aizawa and Kan – who had woken up from the shock – watched as Izuku showed he was on par with a monster that had nearly killed the latter two, while Shigaraki and Kurogiri could not believe that a fifteen year old boy was powerful enough to actually push the Noumu back.

"W-Where did all that power come from? We didn't know U.A. had a brat strong enough to fight Noumu! It's not fair! Not fair! He must be using a cheat code! Cheater!"

Izuku ignored the Villain, concentrating in using Help on an astonished Aizawa. Infusing yellow green energy through his hands into his teacher's body, he stopped all the bleeding and healed enough that he would be able to live, before picking him up and carrying him over to Kan, whom he healed as well. Tsuyu, Hanta, Denki, Pony and Nirengeki, along with Yosetsu and Juzo, came over.

"Guys, I want you all to take the teachers and get them out of here, now! It's going to be too dangerous for you if you stay here, and I can't allow you to be hurt!"

"But, Midoriya, what about you? You plan to take on them by yourself?" Denki cried out, worried for his green-haired classmate's safety, as they grabbed onto their homeroom teachers.

"Don't worry about me, I'm going to buy you and the others enough time until the other teachers get here to back us up. Trust me and just GO!" Izuku yelled with seriousness.

Tsuyu nodded, clearly reluctant to leave her friend behind, but knowing he was right.

"Okay, we are counting on you, Midoriya! Stay safe!"

Denki wiped his tears. He did not care how it might make him look, he knew that Izuku was risking his life for theirs.

"You better not die, Midoriya! Make them pay!"

"With interests!" Izuku smiled.

"Midoriya..." Aizawa whispered, looking at him. "Please make it out alive."

Izuku nodded, and as Aizawa closed his eyes the group left, but Shigaraki stepped up.

"Do you really think I'm just going to allow them to get away, boy?"

Shigaraki tried to go after them, but in a burst of speed Izuku jumped in front of him and grabbed his extended arm by the wrist, glaring at him with fury.

"_Where do you think you are going?_" Izuku growled, furious, crushing his wrist and making Shigaraki scream in pain.

"Kurogiri! A little help here?" Shigaraki shouted – only to notice that Kurogiri was doing nothing. Turning to look to the Warp Quirk user, he saw him standing still, his eyes blanked out, as if he were in a trance. "Kurogiri! What are you doing!"

"I'm sorry, but your friend is not available for the moment," Someone said: Hitoshi stepped from behind Kurogiri and smirked at Shigaraki. "I can leave a message for him if you want."

Shigaraki growled.

"Noumu, kill this brat!"

The abomination roared and charged at Izuku, who threw Shigaraki at Kurogiri while Hitoshi got out of the way. Jumping away in time to dodge the Noumu's first strike, Izuku countered with his own punch straight into its stomach – to no effect. He was surprised, but he knew that it may have simply not been enough, so he powered up to 20% as the monster tried to claw at him. Ducking under its claw, he landed another strike.

"**GAMERA SMASH!**" he yelled as he fired his punch at the Noumu's head, sending the beast flying while also creating a shockwave around himself. Then, when it landed on the floor, he charged up his arms in a plus pose.

"**ULTRAMAN BEAM!**"

A blast of green energy flew from Izuku's arms to the spot where the Noumu was, causing an explosion and creating another dust cloud, but then the dust settled.

And it showed the Noumu still standing, completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened at all, and without a single would to it.

"What? All those attacks and not one scratch? What the hell are you?" Izuku yelled, frustrated.

"His Quirk is Shock Absorption. He can tank all of your attacks and not be hurt at all," Shigaraki explained, laughing evilly and reveling at Izuku's reaction, thinking that there was no way he could defeat, let alone harm, the Noumu.

"I see. If that's the way things are going to be? Alright, then let's do this," Izuku fired back, recomposing and getting back to a fighting stance. Further calling One for All, green lightning mixed with green energy around his body. energy then forms on his right arm as it turned into a sword.

The Noumu roared again before charging at Izuku, who also charged the monster head on. As they were about to clash and collide, Izuku managed to strike first.

"**Lion-Maru Blade!**"

Izuku unleashed a barrage of energy slashes at the Noumu, each hit becoming stronger than the last, before the monster decided to throw in his own attack as it launched a full powered punch, with Izuku landing the final attack of his attacks at the same time.

The resulting clash created yet another dust cloud that covered the scene. The students, in spite of Izuku's warnings had yet to leave the place, and they watched from the entrance and the stairs as their classmate fought the Villains on his own. When the cloud settled, the result of the last bout could be seen.

Izuku laid on the floor, his face bleeding and possibly fractured, while the Noumu still did not seem to have an injury. The students felt their heart drop at the sight, thinking Izuku had died, especially Ochaco, who had tears in her eyes while Setsuna, finally reattached herself, had a look of misery. Even the teachers were shocked, feeling the guilt and regret of not being able to do more.

Shigaraki cackled.

"It was no use in the end! Noumu was bio-engineered to take down All Might himself! And now you're dead, green brat!"

'_No, no, no, Deku, you can't be dead, please, come back,_' Ochaco pleaded, tearing up.

Suddenly, the hands of the body on the ground started to twitch. Yellow green energy covered Izuku's head, healing his face and stopping the bleeding. Izuku opened his eyes and sat up, to the shock of Heroes and Villains. And, on Izuku's face, a challenging grin as he stood up.

"Is that all you got?" He asked.

"He's alive!" Setsuna cheered.

"B-But how?" Shigaraki shouted in disbelief. "No one but All Might could survive Noumu's punches! Just what is your Quirk, you brat?"

"It's the Quirk that's going to destroy your little pet," Izuku answered, beckoning Shigaraki to 'bring it'.

"Noumu!" Shigaraki screamed, enraged. "Kill him or else he will be a problem for our future plans!"

Hearing its master's orders, the monster charged again at full speed, trying to finish Izuku in one strike, but Izuku easily dodged the attack, and then the next, and the next, as he countered the strikes by hitting back with multiple martial art strikes to the torso, before a quick and powerful roundhouse kick sent the monster rolling to a side.

'_He may be able to tank all the damage... but there must be a limit to it! I won't let you have your way!_' Izuku thought as he saw the abomination get right back up and charge him again. Putting his fists together, his entire body became engulfed with the green energy of Superpower.

'_It's do or die. This move could leave me completely exhausted. It will take a lot of energy to perform this. I must take out the Noumu now and save everyone!_' He thought as he finished gathering every ounce of energy he could and then countercharged.

"Let's see you absorb this, you _freak_! **_GIANT ROBO WRECKER!_**"

The collision caused a massive explosion that created an enormous mushroom dust cloud.

* * *

The explosion itself could be heard everywhere within the USJ, and both students and villains were shocked at its intensity.

Shoto was in the middle of interrogating the villains that had tried to attack him when he heard the explosion.

"Whatever that was... it sounded big. I should check that."

In the Conflagration Zone, Bakugo started to run towards the explosion.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm going to check that shit out!" He told the rest of his group, who followed him as quick as possible.

"Hey, wait up! I sense trouble from where that came from!" Eijiro exclaimed, running behind his classmate.

"Don't forget about us, either!" Tetsutetsu said, following them along with Hiryu and Kyoka.

In the Mountain Zone, the five girls had started to tie up all the villains that had assaulted them when they saw smoke rising from the center of the USJ.

"What could have happened?" Itsuka asked.

"I don't know, but it definitely does not look good," Momo replied. "Let's go!"

* * *

As the smoke cloud dispersed, a shadow could be seen: it was Izuku, kneeling on his right knee, holding his right arm against his body, heavily breathing as he tried to summon some yellow green energy to restore it. His clothes were partially ripped, and it was clear that the backlash from the strike had been big. But the Noumu was not in sight.

Shigaraki kept scratching his neck, hard enough to draw blood.

"No, this can't be happening! Noumu can't be defeated by a single U.A. brat who's only a damned Freshman! Noumu's supposed to kill All Might, not get beat by a damn kid!"

From the entrance and the stairs, Izuku's classmates were in awe and amazement at the intensity of Izuku's power.

"Did he... did he beat it?" Setsuna whispered.

When the smoke vanished, it was to show the Noumu laying on the ground, its left arm and leg, along with a good portion of its torso, blown off, leaving only charred skin behind. However, much to Izuku's shock, the monster's body started to regenerate, growing back what it had lost to Izuku's attack and standing up soon thereafter.

"No way! Its Quirk was Shock Absorption, not Super Regeneration!" He yelled, but then he realized. "Unless he has more than one Quirk."

"Correct!" Shigaraki replied, grinning. "I told you, the Noumu was bio-engineered to have multiple Quirks fused into him! Its sole purpose is to kill All Might! He is the Anti-Symbol of Peace!"

'_Damn,_' Izuku thought. '_Sure, I have two Quirks, but that's only because All Might gave me One for All – and this thing probably has more Quirks than just those two! That attack was for nothing, and now I am spent..._'

"I think it's time to put an end to this, don't you think? You put up one hell of a fight, which is surprising, but we have more important matters to deal with, such as All Might. You cannot be allowed to live, you are just too powerful a threat and you have proved you will be a thorn in our side. Noumu! Finish him off!"

This time, the abomination walked up to Izuku: it had noticed that he was completely defenseless, and that it would not take much effort to deal with him. Izuku gritted his teeth as he attempted to move, to no avail.

'_Damn it! How can I beat this thing when I cannot move?_' He thought as the Noumu approached him.

"Oh, don't you worry. As soon as we are through with you, we'll make sure to give your little friends a slow and painful demise. That way, when you die, you won't have to be alone for too long before you can see them again!" Shigaraki declared, laughing maniacally at the thought of killing more than thirty children just to spite him.

Izuku saw _red _as he glared at Shigaraki.

"_What. Did. You. Say?_"

"Was I speaking too quietly? I said that I am going to murder all the people you care about!"

Izuku gripped his fist tightly as blood thumped in his ears. With a struggle, he slowly raised his right arm in an attempt to stop the Noumu, who raised its own arm up in order to land the killing blow. With all his mental strength, Izuku tried to focus as hard as possible, trying to summon something, anything, that could allow him to save his classmates.

Something answered. It was dark, but it was not green.

Just as the Noumu threw its arm down, black tendrils exploded from Izuku's right arm, grabbing the Noumu's arm and stopping it right in place, shocking Izuku.

"What in the hell?" Shigaraki exclaimed, wondering what the black tentacles-like thing that had formed out of Izuku's arm was.

Izuku stood up, struggling to control the unknown anomaly, which was much larger and powerful than anything he had ever created with Superpower. The tendrils gripped the monster's arm tightly, and suddenly the monster was the one being slammed into the hard ground, repeatedly.

This, however, was causing great pain to Izuku, who put his everything into trying to understand what the tentacles were, as they whipped him around while the Noumu kept being pummeled into the ground, Shigaraki dodged when he was in range of the swing, until it created a small crater and the tendrils retreated into Izuku's arm.

'_Damn, what was that? What was that Quirk I just used? It hurts a lot!_' Izuku thought, clenching his right arm as the numbing pain caused by the tendrils still lingered, only to look at the crater and see the Noumu climbing out.

"Come on!" Izuku shouted in disbelief, before he took a deep breath: he could feel some of his strength and stamina coming back to him, and he knew he would need them.

Soon enough, the Noumu roared before dashing at Izuku, who fortunately managed to form a barrier between himself and the monster. The monster began to pound on the barrier, while Izuku tried to keep it in place and come up with a plan.

'_That's it! I am going to defeat this thing, until it can no longer threaten anybody!_' He thought, and realized what he could do. Dispersing the barrier just after another punch, he prepared himself.

The Noumu tried a hammer punch at Izuku, but he managed to catch it and infused his hand with yellow green energy before beginning his move: he crushed the monster's hand, completely snapping and breaking all of its bones in the process. The Noumu howled out in pain, trying to force Izuku to let loose its broken hand even as it began to regenerate.

"WHAT? That's not possible! Noumu shouldn't feel pain!" Shigaraki shrieked, unable to believe that Izuku had once more proven himself stronger.

With a jump, Izuku kicked the monster in the jaws, breaking it. It soon began to regenerate, but Izuku noted with a grin that it was much slower when compared to before.

In the struggle of the fight, he had forgotten about it, but Help could not only be used to buff his allies, but also to downgrade enemy Quirks. And he had applied that to the Noumu, reducing its capacity to absorb the attacks and to regenerate from them along with whichever other Quirks it had.

"He's taking more damage than before? Who the hell is this kid!" Shigaraki yelled out, his neck now bleeding from too much scratching.

Izuku had gained his second wind, and charged at the Noumu with a glowing sword arm.

"**Kamen Rider Blitz!**"

Immediately, Izuku started to attack the monster with more slashes, speeding up into a blinding velocity out of fury and hitting it much harder than his previous slashes had earlier. Speeding past the Noumu with slash to the stomach then coming back fast with another quick slash before repeating the same thing over as soon the monster is surrounded by streaks of green around while being slashed at repeatedly by Izuku. And, as he did, the Noumu started to feel its bones being sliced up, its internal organs cut up, its injuries growing in number – all things it could not regenerate fast enough due to Help infused slashes.

"Kurogiri! We gotta stop this brat, or all of this will have been for nothing!" Shigaraki said, rushing at Izuku, hoping to catch him off guard when he ran out of energy.

Izuku had heard the Villain, though, and quickly dodged Shigaraki's wild attacks before shooting an energy ball at him. Kurogiri used his Warp Quirk to direct the ball away from the younger Villain, causing Izuku to turn his attention to the misty man.

"Your attacks will have no effect in me! I will just warp away whatever you throw at me!" The man boasted. However, Izuku had noticed the piece of metal floating in the middle of the mist, and before Kurogiri could react, he punched the metal piece, causing him to gasp in heavy pain.

"Get out of my way!" Izuku shouted, kicking him into the air as he moaned on his way out of the plaza. Distracted, though, he failed to notice Shigaraki trying to sneak up right behind him as he grabbed Izuku's arm.

"That's it! It's all over for you, brat!" The hand-covered villain exclaimed, smirking in victory as he thought about how Izuku's body would crumble into dust...

But it did not. Izuku turned to Shigaraki and smirked.

"Did you think I wouldn't plan for that? You were always trying to grab people, that's how you use your Quirk... but I have ways to stop it."

Under Shigaraki's hand, green energy flashed, coating first Izuku's arm and then the Villain's hand, preventing him from using his Quirk. Then, Izuku grabbed his hand, pumped yellow green energy and glared at Shigaraki, who tried to move away but somehow could not find the strength to do so. For the first time, Shigaraki shivered in true fear, still in disbelief at how much power Izuku had shown. The fact that his Decay Quirk had not worked even once was too much of a shock.

"W-W-What are you?" Shigaraki trembled, unable to move under the radioactive green glare of the boy that now had him in his hands.

"Me? I'm the one person you should have never angered," He whispered, crushing Shigaraki's wrist before punching him in the face, sending him flying against the Noumu, who caught him in its arms. Shigaraki groaned in pain, coughing up blood as it flowed from his broken nose.

"N-N-Noumu! Kill him off now, and quickly! I don't care how you do it! Forget All Might, murdering that green brat is your number one priority now! Go!"

The Noumu rushed towards Izuku at immense speed and threw a punch at full power, but Izuku managed to dodge right on time before forming an energy sword again and slicing both of the monster's arms cleanly, leaving it practically defenseless, at least for a time. Another brutal kick sent the monster flying back into its master, even as it began to regenerate its arms, but Izuku noticed that he was really running out of energy again.

"Noumu, quick, he looks tired, hurry up and finish him already, or else the Pros will arrive and we will all be doomed! Finish him NOW!"

Again, the Noumu roared and charged at Izuku, who was struggling to remain on his feet. Realizing that it was now or never, he coated his right arm with green lightning and energy, combining One for All and Superpower again, but this time he put in everything.

"This ends now..." Izuku whispered, and then he ran towards the monster, every last piece of strength he had pushed through his right arm. Then he was close enough, and as the Noumu lunged at him, he leaned down and back.

"_**KING GHIDORAH SMASH!**_" Izuku screamed, releasing everything into an uppercut that hit the monster straight into its head. The obscenely brutal attack immediately pulverized every bone in the monster's head and broke all of its vertebrae. Milliseconds later, the shock blew all of the blood vessels in its head, causing it to spew its dark blood through all of its orifices. Its eyes were ruptured. And, finally, the shake was enough to liquefy its brain, outright killing the monster before physics took over and sent it flying, not only breaking the ceiling of the USJ, but also going into the sky, high, high, high, until all that was could be seen was a twinkle.

Izuku's right arm was now heavily injured, with multiple gashes over the skin and several fractured bones. But he considered it completely worth it – because he had managed to defeat the Noumu.

"He did it! He won!" Setsuna cheered from the stairs.

"Way to go, Midoriya!" Denki shouted, and the others joined in the celebration.

However, Izuku, after giving his friends a smile, collapsed on the floor, now truly completely spent and exhausted.

"Deku!" Ochaco called out, starting to run towards him.

"NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! HOW COULD NOUMU LOSE! WHY WHY WHY! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO KILL ALL MIGHT AND END HIM, NOT LOSE TO A DAMN CHEATING BRAT!" Shigaraki screamed, and everyone who was looking at him immediately thought he was just throwing a childish temper tantrum – until he noticed that Izuku was unconscious. "Okay, fine! You ruined my plans to kill All Might, how about this trade-off, to make it fair? You killed my Noumu, so now I KILL YOU!"

Shigaraki threw himself towards Izuku's body, not wanting to lose his chance. He stretched out his left hand, smirking at the fact that nothing could save the boy from being completely disintegrated as soon as he touched him...

But then, he crashed hand first against an ice wall that had appeared out of nowhere, blocking the path of the leader of the League of Villains. Shigaraki's hand only touched the ice wall and began to disintegrate it.

"Sorry, but you won't be laying a single finger on our Deputy Rep," Shoto coldly said, giving the Villain an icy stare that threatened to do worse than what he had as he prepared more ice to throw at him. Right behind him were several of his classmates: Bakugo, Eijiro, Tetsutetsu, Hiryu, and Kyoka. They had arrived right on time to help their partner.

"Wow, what the hell happened here? Looks like Midoriya was in quite a fight!" Eijiro exclaimed, kneeling next to Izuku and seeing the dozen bruises, multiple scratches and his broken right arm.

"Looks like it! D'you think he fought all these guys by himself?" Tetsutetsu exclaimed. The others followed, worried about Izuku's state.

All but Bakugo, who for once in many years became angry at his former friend being injured. He could barely believe it: while he and the others were dealing with the cannon fodder, Izuku had been fighting the bad guys, risking his life to protect the teachers and the rest of the class. His injuries seemed to be moderate, nothing serious save for his right arm, but still, the thought of these Villains being responsible for it made him livid.

Katsuki began to ignite a small explosion on the palm of his hand.

"So, I'm assuming you asshole were the one who did this to Deku," He growled, his burning glare directed at a still in shock Shigaraki. "Well, if that's the case, don't think we're going to let you get away with it! I'll send you straight to Hell, you bastard!"

Shigaraki sighed in annoyance, cradling his arm as best as possible.

"These damn brats just keep on coming and coming, don't they? When will they learn? Kurogiri!"

The purple mist Villain appeared right beside him, having recovered from the brutal strike he had received from Izuku.

"I'm here, Shigaraki!"

"Lend me a hand in taking care of these damn brats! We lost Noumu thanks to the brat over there, but he's out of commission, so let's kill the others and get a move on already! There's no point in trying to kill All Might, since Noumu is gone, but at least we can still kill the green haired brat!"

At hearing that, Eijiro, Tetsutetsu and Shoto joined Katsuki, ready for battle against the Villains that had attacked them.

"Longears, Scales, you two guard Deku! We'll take care of these two!" Katsuki yelled, and Hiryu and Kyoka nodded.

'_So, Midoriya was able to get rid of that large black beast? From what I gathered from those thugs, that monster was supposed to be the perfect weapon to kill All Might... and Midoriya beat that? Just how strong are you, Midoriya?_' Shoto thought, placing a wall of ice around Izuku, Hiryu and Kyoka, giving them some protection before turning to the villains.

"If you actually think we're going to allow you to escape, much less kill our Deputy Rep, you are sadly mistaken!" Shoto said, shooting an ice javelin towards the duo. However, Shigaraki managed to catch it with his hand and disintegrated it.

"DIE!" Katsuki yelled, releasing an explosion that was big enough to burn the Villains to ash, only for Kurogiri to teleport the blast away, just like he had done earlier.

"Damn it! Taking these two out is going to be a pain in the ass!" He yelled in frustration.

"Yeah, they seem to be a compatible duo," Eijiro replied, activating his Hardening Quirk. "One of them turns you into dust by touching you, and the other just warps away anything you throw at him."

"And he can also send his opponents to different locations as well. It's almost like they have the perfect capabilities for a fight!" Tetsutetsu added, his skin already covered in the steel plates his Quirk created.

"I don't fucking care how powerful their Quirks are, I'm still not losing to these bastards! Everybody's got a weak point in their Quirk, and you three either fight with me or stay out of my way and look after Deku!" Katsuki exclaimed, shooting forward with an explosion that threw him towards Kurogiri.

"That idiot," Shoto muttered as he used his Quirk to propel himself forward, immediately followed by the other two.

Kurogiri smirked, seeing the Explosion Quirk user's attacks amusing.

"You teenagers, these days you just never learn, do you? Can't you see that your attacks will do absolutely nothing to me?" He said, activating his Quirk and preparing to send Katsuki away.

However, this time the blond boy, instead of throwing an explosion at him, he managed to grab onto the metal object that was where the Villain's neck should be. Kurogiri fell in shock as he felt his weak spot being exploited for the third time in a few minutes, as Katsuki pinned the plate down hard against the ground, immobilizing the Warp Quirk user with a savage grin on his face.

"Hah! You thought I was going to fall for that trick again? I'm not dumb, you know! I know you must have a physical body somehow, so all I had to do was to find your weak spot and pound on it! How does it feel to be completely defenseless, huh, asshole?" Katsuki taunted, keeping a tight grip on Kurogiri so he had no way to escape.

"Damn it, Kurogiri, again? Really?" Shigaraki said, dodging Shoto's ice javelins. "First you let a student escape and call for back up, then you allow that green haired brat throw you around and now this! Seriously?"

"You should be focused on your opponent, instead of complaining to your allies!" Shoto fired at Shigaraki along with several ice javelins. However, Shigaraki was able to avoid most of them and touch the one that threatened him most, disintegrating it. An attempt to fire another javelin failed – because the Villain had moved from where he was, running towards Katsuki, ready to kill him.

'_Damn, that one is really fast!_' Shoto thought, starting to create more ice in an attempt to save Katsuki and prevent Shigaraki from touching him, but he was not fast enough.

This time, though, it was something else blocking Shigaraki's hand from its objective.

"Crap, I just made it in time," Eijiro grunted, putting an arm between Katsuki's head and Shigaraki's hand. However, the Hardening coating his hand could only do so much, as Shigaraki's Quirk started to wear down Eijiro's defenses, making the skin in his arms crumble. At least, until Tetsutetsu arrived and punched the daylights out of the Villain, saving his friend.

Unfortunately, Kurogiri was able to find an opportunity and slipped out of Katsuki's grasp the second he was distracted, and warped himself and Shigaraki away.

"GODDAMMIT!" Katsuki shouted, livid. "I let my guard down for ONE FUCKING SECOND and this crap happens!"

Shoto went back to Kyoka and Hiryu, making sure they and Izuku remained safe, lest the Villains try to pull a fast one on them.

"Shigaraki! These students are clearly stronger than average! We must finish this quickly, or they will overwhelm us and catch us off guard!" Kurogiri said, pointing out the obvious situation that their opponents were not as weak as expected.

"I know that, Kurogiri, I'm not stupid you know! Let's just take care of these brats so we can finish off the green haired one and then we'll be on our way!" Shigaraki shouted.

"Huh? You think we are weak enough to let you kill Deku? Oh, you got a whole other thing coming for you, pal!" Katsuki yelled, firing an explosion large enough to blast entire buildings away at the Villains.

Once more, Kurogiri teleported the dangerous explosions away, but Katsuki had been ready for it and had shot them precisely to keep him distracted while he blasted his way into the air so he could aim to exploit Kurogiri's weakness. Shigaraki stood in position, ready to intercept the blond boy, but Katsuki noticed and ignited an explosion sideways to get out of Shigaraki's reach. Shoto took advantage of the distraction to try to hit the hands Villain with another javelin, which Kurogiri teleported away – but this left both of them blinded to Eijiro and Tetsutetsu charging at Shigaraki, catching the man off guard and punching him at the same time, breaking a few teeth and freeing the way for Katsuki to go for Kurogiri.

"I've got you now, you damn purple crap mist!" He yelled, pushing himself forward and creating a large explosion ready to burst out of his hands.

Kurogiri, however, managed to teleport himself away, appearing right behind Katsuki in mid air. Being where he was, he could not dodge or get out of Kurogiri's way as he prepared another warp.

"This is what happens when arrogant brats like you drop your guard in the middle of a life and death battle! Now, you will pay the price!"

Before he could use his Quirk to kill Katsuki, though, a large cannonball hit Kurogiri straight in his weak point, once more sending him flying away and tumbling on the floor until he was right next to Shigaraki, who was nursing his wounds as he bled from mouth and nose.

"Nice shot!" Itsuka complimented, smiling at Momo, who had created the cannon that had struck the mist villain. Both girls, followed by Ibara, Mina and Reiko, rushed to where Izuku, Hiryu and Kyoka were waiting, and they gasped when they saw Izuku's injuries.

"What happened to you, Izuku-kun?" Momo asked, worried.

"He was fighting that huge black monster, and it seems that he blasted it away. He won, but, as you can see, it was at the cost of a serious injury," Hiryu explained. Momo began to make bandages through her bare legs, helping the others to bind Izuku's injuries as best as possible, knowing that he would need a good long time under the care of Recovery Girl.

"These kids just keep on being nuisances! You brats just love to fight against the inevitable, don't you? Well, let me show you what happens when you fight someone that outmatches you in every single way! Kurogiri! Let's finish them now, before the Pros arrive!" Shigaraki shouted.

It was too late, though: the front gates were opened with a crash, and a large, blond Hero with pointed hair and glaring ice blue eyes entered, taking off his tie and, for once, not smiling.

"**I'll take it from here! Why? Because I AM HERE!**" All Might boomed, staring straight at the one that was obviously behind the attack.

"So, you've finally made it, huh? Pity you are late... but I still can do what we originally came here for!" Shigaraki yelled, running towards All Might, his hand stretched out, trying to touch the Symbol of Peace.

_BANGBANGBANGBANG!_

Shigaraki's arms and legs were pierced by bullets before he could even react, making him fall to the ground in pain as Snipe, the Cowboy Hero, revealed himself, his revolver smoking as he pointed it at the Villain.

"Enough games! This is the end of the line, Villains!" Nezu shouted, all of U.A.'s students sighing in relief as they saw their teachers arrive, following Tenya, who was gasping but glad that he had managed to bring them all in time. "Surrender now, or we will make things a lot harder for you!"

"Shigaraki... I believe it's time for us to escape," Kurogiri said, nervously. Shigaraki whined about having a very bad day, but he nodded and Kurogiri warped them away to safety.

"We may have failed this time, but know this, soon you will be dead, All Might!" Shigaraki swore before he disappeared.

"**Cowards. They attempt to kill children and flee as soon as things go bad,**" All Might said, frowning, before walking up to the group of students surrounding his unconscious successor. Much to his distress, Izuku had suffered multiple injuries, but at least the only major injury was the fractures in his right arm. He would have to learn from the other students what had happened, but he had no doubt that Izuku had fared very well in this first fight.

'**_He did a good job handling the strain of One for All at 100% thanks to Superpower, but not for long, though,_**' He thought, recognizing the consequences of using his old Quirk. '_**But I have no doubt that soon he will break those limitations.**_'

Smiling, he gathered his students and began to direct them to the exit, while Ochaco and Setsuna joined Momo and Itsuka in tending to Izuku's injuries before paramedics came to take him on an ambulance.

This was their first battle. It would not be their last. But they had come out of it, and they would grow stronger from this.

* * *

"DAMMIT! This is the worst day of my life!" Shigaraki yelled as the doctor healed his injuries as best as he could, while pools of blood formed from his gunshot wounds. "We were completely defeated, nothing went our way, those dumbass underlings couldn't even handle a bunch of noob Heroes in training and our greatest weapon didn't even get to fight All Might, thanks to some stupid cheating cheater! There were twenty more students and another Pro Hero on the scene! And, to top it all, when All Might came, he wasn't even winded! The Symbol of Peace was healthy! You were wrong, master!"

"_No, I wasn't,_" A voice replied from a television set without an image on the screen, only sound. Somehow, even though the speaker sounded as if he were more than a century old, he seemed to be active. "_We just were not prepared enough._"

"_Yes, we underestimated them,_" Another voice, younger and yet as evil-sounding as the previous one, said. "_It's good that we did it under that cheap 'League of Villains' name. By the way, what about our joint creation, Noumu?_"

"_Was he not retrieved?_" The first voice asked.

"He was... blown away," Kurogiri admitted.

"_What?_" The second voice shouted.

"More precisely, without coordinates to his location, I could not find him, even with my Warp." Kurogiri clenched his fists. "I did not have time to track him."

"_After all we did to make him as powerful as All Might, and he is defeated by a kid without any experience as a Hero, how is that possible?_" The second voice groaned.

"He fought the Noumu head on!" Shigaraki complained. "He held his ground against him, matched him in strength! He even had these black tentacles coming from his arm that threw Noumu around like he was nothing! I tried to stop him, but my Quirk didn't seem to work on him! And, in the end, the green haired bastard punched Noumu in the air so hard we couldn't even tell where he went! That is so cheap! That brat..."

"_Oh, my? Well, I suppose it cannot be helped. That's unfortunate,_" The first voice said. "_But this was not a futile exercise. Gather the elite. Take all the time you need. We cannot move freely, which is why we need a symbol like you... Shigaraki Tomura... next time, show the world that you are to be feared._"

* * *

An hour after the end of the battle, the police was in force at U.A. High's campus, arresting the Villains that had been captured while taking statements from the students. Thirteen, Vlad King, Eraserhead and Izuku had been sent immediately to the infirmary, where Recovery Girl and several doctors on loan from Musutafu General Hospital were waiting. All Might had accompanied them to make sure they arrived safely to their destination.

In the grounds, a tall detective with short black hair was regarding the scene, glaring at the Villains as they were put into special transports.

"Scum. As much as I hate having to say it this way, these children were lucky. Apart from the boy with a broken arm, all of them appear to be physically unharmed."

"Tsukauchi-sama, we have an initial account from all the students still present here," One officer stated.

"Good. Let's have the students return to their classrooms for now," Tsukauchi ordered.

"We won't be questioning them right away, then?" Another officer asked.

"No, these children need to catch a breath before being forced to retell this experience. We will ask them later."

Several students approached Tsukauchi, worry clear on their faces.

"Detective-sama," Tsuyu asked. "How are Aizawa-sensei and Kan-sensei?"

"Aizawa-sensei has suffered multiple fractures in both arms, as well as a facial fracture. Fortunately, there does not seem to be any serious damage, but his orbital floor broke in small pieces, and his eyes may suffer from aftereffects. Kan-sensei, fortunately, only suffered damage to his arms along with several bruises, although he will have to be given blood to counter his blood loss," One of the doctors still on-site revealed.

"Kero..." Tsuyu said in a sad tone.

"What about Thirteen?" Mina asked.

"They have already undergone treatment. The lacerations from the back to the upper arm were bad, but they will survive, although they will probably have to take it easy for a while," Tsukauchi answered. "Recovery Girl's Quirk will be enough to treat him."

Almost everybody sighed in relief.

"Deku..." Ochaco mumbled.

"What about Midoriya-kun?" Tenya asked.

"Midoriya?" Tsukauchi remembered that that was the one who broke his arm. "From what I have been told, the worst he has is a broken arm. That, and the extreme case of exhaustion. I have been told that he will be fine with rest and treatment."

"Thank you, Detective-sama," Everyone said, smiling in relief, as the officers began to guide them to the buses that would take them to their classrooms.

Tsukauchi turned to his assistant, a young man with the head of a cat.

"Sansa-kun, I have business in the nurse's office as well. Hopefully, we will learn more about this attack. Kindly take care that the students arrive to their classroms."

Sansa saluted.

"Aye, sir."

Later on in the day, the police would find the body of the Noumu in a grove tree near school grounds. Apparently, the sight of it was not pretty, but it allowed the police to confirm both what the students had revealed and some other elements they had determined.

* * *

Back at the infirmary, several hours after the battle, Izuku was still asleep, a cast covering his right arm all the way from his hand to his shoulder, with bandage wraps covering all of his many minor injuries.

Blearily opening his eyes, Izuku tried to look around, still somewhat out of it, dead bone tired.

"You finally woke up, young Midoriya?"

As his eyes focused, Izuku saw All Might standing to his right, in his true form, while Recovery Girl looked at him from his left.

"All Might? Recovery Girl? What... happened?" He whispered.

"You fought that monster the Villains brought in and defeated it, but then you fell unconscious," Toshinori answered.

"Is... everybody safe? How are Eraserhead and Vlad King and Thirteen?" Izuku asked, worried. Toshinori smiled.

"All of your classmates are fine, thanks to you. As for your teachers, they are undergoing treatment for their injuries," The Pro Hero said.

"By the way, you did a fine job with Aizawa. Your quick action with Help ensured he lived long enough to receive medical attention," Recovery Girl interjected. Izuku sighed in relief and smiled as well.

"That's good news," He said, before he remembered something. "Toshinori-sensei, there's this thing that happened when I was fighting the Noumu."

"What would that be, young Midoriya?"

"When that hands guy threatened to kill the others, I became furious... and then these black energy tentacles suddenly came out of my arm, with a mind of their own, and they threw the Noumu around."

Toshinori was astonished, while Recovery Girl raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Toshinori said, wondering what that could have been.

"It just... came out of nowhere. I couldn't control it, and it hurt a lot, even after the tentacles came back in. I... couldn't even tell what it was..."

'_This... this has to be related to One for All, something All Might either doesn't know or has yet to tell me. Must be from that dream I had earlier..._'

"Well, young Midoriya, I think that's enough talking for today. You better rest, because you certainly need it. I'll see you later, Recovery Girl, and we'll talk more about that matter later, alright?" Toshinori said, giving Izuku a 'look' that the young Hero understood.

Walking out of the room, he closed the door, and he stood in the hallway for a minute, going over everything that had happened. Earlier, while Izuku was still unconscious, Toshinori had managed to read the reports about the creature that had attacked, and he was shocked at the depth of its creation, how it was made to kill him and given Quirks meant to counter him. He was scared for Izuku, who had been forced to fight it, relieved that he had made it out alive and impressed at how he had defeated it. Still, the facts behind the creature gave him no doubt: his archenemy was still at large somewhere.

'_I see you are still out there... **ALL FOR ONE!**_'

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, a mysterious ominous figure stood over the rooftop of a large building, staring down at the city before licking his lips...

* * *

_Two Days Later_

The main door to the building opened up, and everyone turned to see a smiling green haired boy enter.

"Izu-kun!"

"Deku-kun!"

Seconds later, Izuku was mobbed by Momo, Itsuka, Ochaco and Setsuna: in spite of their efforts, none of them had been allowed to see him after the USJ incident, and they truly missed him. They had taken to hanging together, because the pain of not seeing him was too overwhelming. Momo had stopped reading, Itsuka could not focus on her martial arts training, Ochaco would not stop thinking about him and Setsuna would not watch another Kaiju movie. Now that he was back, it was as if a light had been lit back in their lives.

"So, how's your arm?" Itsuka asked, worried. Izuku showed them his right arm, now fully healed thanks to Recovery Girl, the doctors and his own Help.

"It's fine now," Izuku replied, gripping Itsuka's hand for reassurance.

"Deku, please, don't scare us again like that," Ochaco said softly, from her position hugging him.

"She's right. We were so worried about you that we couldn't do anything at all," Momo stated.

"Hey, I'm sorry. It's just that I had to do what a hero is supposed to," He replied, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling guilty.

"Well, now it doesn't matter, Izu-kun" Setsuna said, putting an arm around his shoulders. "You are here, and that's all that's important to us."

Knowing that they had to go to class, the group got into the elevator, and separated their ways when they arrived to their floor. Itsuka and Setsuna gave Izuku one last hug before going to their classroom, and Izuku, Momo and Ochaco did the same. As he sat down, Izuku wondered who would be teaching homeroom with Aizawa out of commission.

In the end, as the bell rang, the answer was revealed to be Shota Aizawa, completely bandaged from head to toe, with his arms in casts. How he was walking was beyond their comprehension, and the fact that their teacher was trying to teach them while recovering was a bit of a shock to them all.

"So... you are all right, Aizawa-sensei?" Tenya asked, curious.

"Can you really call that 'all right'?" Ochaco pointed out.

"My current well-being is not the matter right now," Aizawa stated in a muffled voice, trying to go to his desk without falling to the floor. "And, more importantly, the fight is not over yet."

"Fight?" Katsuki asked.

"Don't tell me..." Izuku wondered.

"More Villains again?" Denki almost shrieked.

"The U.A. Sports Festival is drawing near," Aizawa simply stated.

Immediately, all the students hit the desk with their foreheads.

"That's a normal school event!" They all yelled.

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Premonition of Invasion_ from _Ultraman Tiga_ from the beginning to Aizawa's 'one-trick pony' comment, _Primitive Theme_ from _Ultraman Geed_ when Eraserhead and Vlad King fight the Villains, _The Name is 'Ultraman Tiga'_ from _Ultraman Tiga_ when Izuku begins to fight the Noumu, _Decisive Battle! Monster vs Super GUTS_ from _Ultraman Dyna_ when Izuku's Ultraman Beam fails to hurt the Noumu, _Take Me Higher (Instrumental)_ from _Ultraman Tiga_ when Izuku resolves to pummel the Noumu to the end.**

**We have an abundance of Ultraman music here.**

**Milarqui: I would have chosen _You Say Run_ for the climax of the fight, when Izuku launches his last attack.**

**Me: Oh my god a very long chapter in the books! But also I want to say a few things now... So I may acted a little immature for calling out users, but come on I'm not letting no flamers put me down especially a user who has the 'troll' in their name calling this the worst fic and saying I misunderstood the characters, I don't think I did.**

**Izuku powers up Eraserhead and Vlad King! Everybody gets to show off what they can do! Izuku unknowingly activates Blackwhip! Izuku defeats the Nomu! The League of Villains failed! ****A mysterious villain on the horizon! ****The Sports Festival is coming!**

**That's all for now folks, s****o please review, fave, follow, or all of the above. **

**However NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS OR YOU WILL SUFFER FOR ALL ETERNITY! But if it's a brutal criticism that is well written then by all means go ahead, I need to get better, so lay it on me. No guest reviews, I will delete them.**

**Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	7. Interlude

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! For this chapter we're doing an Interlude which is essentially breaktime between arcs and I want to do some fun things on occasions. **

**A shoutout to ****Toonami4Ever for putting this on TVTropes. Much appreciated man.**

**So let's begin!**

**Milarqui: You may have noticed that the previous chapter's fight with the Noumu was a tad different. Because, no matter what, being punched so hard as to be sent flying into the sky is not going to end with just a few bruises: that punch would have liquified the Noumu's brain and killed it instantly.**

**Interlude**

* * *

The announcement of the U.A. Sports Festival had the students pumping up for it, and they were all ready to train for it. When lunchtime rolled, Izuku, rather than stay with his friends, was called to All Might's office for a 'talk'.

"Young Midoriya, I am sure you know that the Sports Festival is something Pro Heroes, no, the entire country will watch closely. There is something I wanted to speak about with you," Toshinori said.

"I see," Izuku replied.

"Midoriya Izuku. When the time comes for you to prove yourself, I want you to tell the world '**I AM HERE!**'"

Izuku made a fierce look and nodded.

"You know how the Sports Festival works, right?" Toshinori asked, sitting on his couch next to Izuku.

"Yes, of course!" Izuku replied. Every year, the four main class courses (Hero, General Studies, Support and Business) came together and took part in three games that changed every year. Usually, the first game was some sort of free-for-all, the second game a competition by teams, and the last a round-robin fighting tournament.

"Very good," Toshinori exclaimed, pointing at Izuku with both fingers. "In other words, they are created so you can sell yourself with everything you've got!"

"That's right! I am going to go all out and stand out in front of the entire world!"

Toshinori smiled at the statement.

"That's the spirit! Now, I must admit there was something else I wanted to talk about with you. It's about those black tentacles you mentioned you somehow manifested during the attack at the USJ."

"What about them?" Izuku asked, grimacing at the memory: while it was true that it had saved him by keeping the monster at bay, it had been quite painful, and not something he wanted to repeat.

"I have been doing some research on the matter, and I found a hero from about sixty years ago who had Quirk called Blackwhip. According to the archives, Blackwhip was quite similar to what you experienced. Were you feeling particularly strong emotions then?"

"Yes," Izuku said. "That Shigaraki said that he would kill the others after killing me, and I was furious with him. That was when the Noumu attacked me, and I tried to bring out whatever I could to fight it off."

"Just as I imagined. Blackwhip mentioned using his emotions to power his Quirk. The thing with this is something I am only speculating, as records are sketchy about it, but I believe Blackwhip may have been a previous holder for One for All."

"What?" Izuku asked, his eyes widening.

"Of course, as I said, I am just speculating, as there is no proof, but he may have been the man who mentored the one who mentored my mentor. My great-grandmentor, if you will," Toshinori said with a chuckle. Izuku smiled. "What I know from One for All is that it stockpiles power with time, but after what you did, I believe that the passing of the torch is more than just accepting the Quirk. Instead, One for All merges with its holders, melding into their very beings, improving them beyond the added strength... and possibly even adding the Quirks of the previous users to itself, so future holders would be able to use them."

"You mean... I could have even more Quirks in my body?"

"Yes. This is something I have not mentioned earlier, but you are the ninth holder of One for All. Unless I am mistaken, apart from One for All and Superpower, you should have six more Quirks."

"Six?"

'_If I am the ninth, and the first was the source of One for All, then..._'

"Before my mentor passed One for All to me, I was Quirkless, young Midoriya."

Izuku felt his jaw drop in shock. All Might, the Symbol of Peace, had been Quirkless?

"I actually met my mentor at the same age you were when we first met. I suppose she saw something in me, because she trained me, and when she judged me ready she passed One for All to me." Toshinori sighed. Izuku supposed he must have missed her a lot. "Perhaps I should tell you more... but I'd rather you concentrate in the Sports Festival, at least for now."

"Okay... now, back to Blackwhip. You think that One for All absorbed the Quirks from the previous users."

"Yes. And not only that, but perhaps it might even enhance them, making them more powerful than when their original users had them."

"That might explain why I couldn't control it – I let my anger get to me, and when it came out I could not handle it."

"You might need to train using One for All further. You should be capable to do it when you learn how to use more of it."

Izuku nodded, intrigued by the prospect, until he remembered one thing he wanted to ask his mentor.

"Yagi-sensei... I was thinking about doing something that could help you a lot in the long run."

"What would that be?" Toshinori asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think I may be able to rebuild your lung and stomach using Help," Izuku explained, and Toshinori's other eyebrow rose to join the first. "I don't know if it will work, but I wanted to know if you will let me do it."

"Midoriya... I have lived for six years without them. If you feel like you can't do it, I have no problem if you don't, or in waiting. But, if you are willing... I'm sure you will be able to make it work," Toshinori answered, still with some doubt in his voice, which Izuku could not blame him for: it was something he had never done. Still, he moved the table aside, pulled up his shirt and laid down on the floor.

"Alright... here I go." Izuku took a deep breath and gingerly placed both hands over the scar on Toshinori's chest before slowly starting to emit healing energy through them. Keeping in mind what Recovery Girl had told him, he slowly started to rebuild Toshinori's left lung, carefully ensuring all of its blood vessels were in place before starting to move on to repairing the right lung, allowing Toshinori to breath in.

"Almost there..." Izuku muttered. Healing this much in one sitting was surprisingly taxing on his stamina, but still he held on because he knew this was important, and he still had to do his stomach. So concentrated he was on his work that he could not see his teacher's shining blue eyes as the man's stomach slowly grew back, eliminating the emergency surgery process that had been done so long ago to keep him alive. And, when the stomach was done, he also took care of the bones that had been lost in the fight, rebuilding his ribcage. Muscles and others would need other kind of work in the future, but the most important things were back.

"I... I did it..." Izuku said, collapsing next to Toshinori, panting as if he had just run an ultramarathon.

"I... have never felt so... FANTASTIC!" Toshinori screamed, standing up with a fist raised towards the ceiling. For the first time in half a dozen years, it no longer hurt to breathe. He could actually feel his stomach as it expanded and contracted with breathing. The scar, while still present, had faded. His successor had done in minutes what the best hospitals in the world and the best healing Quirks had not been able to do since the fight that cost him his lung and stomach. Hell, just not coughing blood every few minutes felt wonderful!

"I commend you, young Midoriya!" Toshinori said, pointing to a now exhausted Izuku. "For what you have done, I am forever grateful to you!"

Izuku weakly chuckled from the ground.

"It's nothing, really. That may have actually been a one time thing, and I am not sure if it would have worked. If it hadn't been for what Recovery Girl has taught me, I don't think I would have been able to consider it possible."

Toshinori silently thanked the school nurse. He resolved to meet her as soon as possible so she could check up on him and determine how thorough the reparations were, but he felt so good that actually he might be healthier than before the fight.

"Midoriya, I hope you bring your A-game at the Sports Festival, because this year competition will be fierce like nothing else you've ever seen before!"

* * *

The school clock rang to signal the end of the day's last class, but when Ochaco opened the door to leave, she found the corridor full of fellow students, some of whom she remembered from the Entrance Exam.

"What's going on here?" Ochaco exclaimed.

"What is your business here with class 1-A?" Tenya asked, having arrived to the door seconds behind Ochaco.

"Looks like we can't get out! What are they here for?" Denki complained.

"They're scouting out the competition, Sparky," Katsuki sneered as he walked up to the door. "We're one of the two classes that made it out of the Villains' attack at USJ, they probably wanna check us before the Festival!"

Denki made an insulted expression after hearing Katsuki's insult to him, which the latter ignored because he was busy glaring at the crowd, trying to make them step back.

"There's no point in doing things like that," He scoffed. "Out of my fucking way, extras!"

'_Ugh,_' Izuku sighed. '_Why won't he ever learn to interact normally with others?_'

"Don't call people 'extras' just because you don't know them, Bakugo-kun!" Tenya lectured, unconsciously chopping the air with his right arm.

"I don't think it's about scouting, they are probably just curious," Hitoshi said from the corner of the classroom. "Most of them are from the General Studies and Support courses – those that did not make the cut for the Hero Course. Depending on the results of the Festival, some of them could be transferred into the Hero Course, and vice-versa, since anyone here could be transferred out. Even I could be moved down if I don't do a good job."

"That's right, and this is our declaration of war!" A girl with dark hair pigtails and a fierce expression said from among the crowd. Katsuki continued to glare before deciding to just walk through the crows as if it did not exist.

"Wait, Bakugo! What're you going to do with this? They already dislike us enough, I really don't want to have them hate us!"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," He replied, looking over his shoulder. "As long as you rise to the top, nothing else matters."

"That's so... simple and manly..." Eijiro replied, closing his eyes and clenching his hand.

Slowly, the crowd dispersed, and Class 1-A's students could finally leave their classroom. At the other side of the corridor, Izuku saw that Class 1-B had been similarly besieged by other students, but as of that moment his mind was wholly focused on the Festival and the training regime he was going to do until the fateful day.

* * *

Training began to go full steam for everyone in the class. With only two weeks to the U.A. Sports Festival, which was going to be broadcasted live on TV, any improvement they could find would be useful.

Izuku had chosen to go back to his roots, to Dagobah Beach, in order to train his stamina and muscle durability – the USJ incident had showed him that, even with Help healing and augmenting him, withstanding One for All at 100% for more than a few seconds was still a chimera, so he had to do anything he could to break through his limitations. After all, he wanted to show the world that a new Symbol of Peace would soon arise!

It was after finishing a training session that Izuku found a strange, middle aged man wearing a business suit, sitting in the apartment talking to his mother.

"Mom? Who is this?" Izuku asked.

"Izuku... this is Mekasofubi Omocha, a representative from Bandai," Inko introduced.

'_Huh?_' Izuku thought as Mekasofubi bowed.

"A pleasure to meet you, Midoriya-kun," The man greeted, as Izuku returned the gesture with a bow of his own.

"I'm sorry for the question, but... what are you doing here?"

"Oh, yes. In the light of certain recent events, the CEO of the company I represent decided to send me here, in order to make you an offer."

"What... kind of offer would that be?" Izuku asked, confused about why a representative of Bandai – the owners of the licenses to the Tokusatsu merchandise he collected – would be here at home.

"In the first place, please, take a seat. I think this is a conversation better served for comfortable seating."

As the three took their seats, the representative began to explain.

"The proposal... one year ago, the CEO saw the news of how you managed to bring down that Villain last year, using a move clearly based in one character from our licenses. When it became known that you were attending U.A. High, he decided it was time to act."

"That... doesn't tell me much about your proposal," Izuku said, and the man chuckled.

"You see, your actions have brought quite the unexpected attention to the Tokusatsu merchandise we produce, as well as the films and shows related to them, and our CEO thought it would be a good idea to make you this offer. We would like to see if you would be willing to showcase our products as a means of advertising. In exchange, we would be willing to give you the first toy of every Tokusatsu related products we release, as well as a regular sponsorship, which could increase with presentation. We are willing to begin by offering you 50,000 yen per week, and as I said those said quantity would increase."

"Are you serious?" Inko exclaimed, and Mekasofubi nodded.

"I am. For example, in the week after your son fought the Sludge Villain, our main Ultraman product lines were practically sold out. Plus, in what little I could see of your room through the crack of the door, I noticed your son has quite the collection of Tokusatsu merchandise besides All Might."

"Oh."

"So, do we have a deal?" Mekasofubi asked.

"Could you give us a few minutes?"

"Of course."

Izuku and Inko retreated to the former's room to discuss the offer.

"What do you think, Izuku?" She asked, nervous. Not every day did one get an offer to earn more than fifty thousand yen per week just for talking about toys.

"I... I'm not sure about this, mom," Izuku replied. "I have the Sports Festival to deal with next week, and I don't want this to distract me. I am also going to be three years as an U.A. High student, so it could end up being a distraction from my studies. And... I don't like it much. It does not feel like something a hero would do. Maybe when I am older I will do something like what All Might does, but until then I'd rather keep that aside."

"Well, look at the positive side of this. You would get all that merchandise for free, and you would be able to put most of that check to your savings account... but it's up to you, Izuku," Inko replied, smiling at him.

The two left the room, and sat next to Mekasofubi once more.

"So, have you made your decision?" The man asked.

"The offer is tempting, sir, but... I am afraid I have to reject it. Maybe in the future I will reconsider it, but for the moment I believe it is not in my interest to sign."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. I would not be in much of a position for this deal to benefit you, and I need to concentrate in my studies right now. Should you come after I graduate, I may have a different answer, but until that time comes, I don't plan to do it."

"A pity. But our CEO will understand your opinion. I'm sure we will be in contact in the future."

"I'm sorry you had to come here for nothing, Mekasofubi-san."

"Thank you. It is not the first time something like this has happened, and at least we do know there is a chance in the future." The man stands up, and Izuku follows. "Thank you for listening to my offer at least. Have a nice evening."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Momo's penthouse, she was reading a book while sitting on her couch when she heard someone calling from the entrance. Closing the book after marking the page, she went over to check who was coming: it was someone she did not expect, but who she did welcome. Soon enough, she opened the door, revealing Ochaco, Itsuka and, shockingly, Mina.

"Ashido-chan, Uraraka-chan, Kendo-chan, it is nice to see you," Momo greeted them, slightly surprised. "Please, come in. What brings you here?"

"We have a very good reason," Ochaco mentioned as she took off her shoes and put on a pair of guest house shoes. "We came here because we wanted to have a meeting to discuss a certain 'subject', and, to be honest, your home is the best place we can do this in."

Momo easily realized what Ochaco meant, before she led her classmates to the dining room, where they could talk on the four seat table without a problem.

"Is there anything you want to drink? Water? Tea?" The other girls shook their heads. "Alright, let's get down to business, then. I think the matter you all want to talk about is obvious. Our good classmate, Izuku-kun."

"Aye, that's it," Itsuka replied, nodding in agreement.

"Well, to begin with... let's start with you, Ashido-chan. How come you decided to come to this meeting?" The three girls turned to look at Mina, who was fiddling with her fingers.

"I've been... watching him since the Apprehension Test, but I really never got the chance to talk to him alone since the three of you were always there. And... I really, really like Midori-kun, because he is fun and kind and oh my God he's so hot I'm sure I could fry something on him," Mina replied, turning slightly purple. "I got so jealous when the three of you got to run your hands over his muscles."

Itsuka, Momo and Ochaco blushed as well, remembering the moment when Setsuna had nonchalantly started to feel Izuku's well toned body – and how they followed her example. Itsuka decided to begin her own explanation.

"My story with Izuku... we met each other at a martial arts dojo, years ago. At first, he was this scrawny thing that didn't seem much, but as we trained and got to know each other, we became great friends." She sighed. "However, it wasn't after I realized how deep his willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of others, to save them from harm, that I realized that I had fallen for him. He graduated from the dojo before I could confess, and I never got around to do it later, but after the sludge incident I decided to begin to talk more with him."

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Mina gushed with a cute expression. "That's the real beauty of childhood romance! You never know when you can find it!"

"I guess it's my turn now, hehehe," Ochaco said, deciding to go next. "I met Deku-kun at the Entrance Exam. I heard Bakugo call him Deku, and I thought it was from Dekiru, 'you can do it', but then he did mention his name."

"Maybe it would be better to just call him Dekiru instead of Deku? Because it feels wrong for him to accept an insult that came from someone who was his best friend," Itsuka pointed out. Ochaco nodded, admitting she was right.

"Alright, Dekiru, it is. He was really nice to me, and during the practical part we were on the same testing site. We went in together, and I followed his lead before we got separated. But then the zero-pointer, that faux Villain that Present Mic said would make your score go down to zero, appeared, and I got trapped under a piece of rubble. No one noticed it, because they were too scared... no one but him. He was willing to throw away his chances to come to U.A. just to help me. I have tried to put it aside, focus on doing my best... but it's so hard not to feel this way for him."

"Wow, a damsel in distress story? That's even more romantic!" Mina gushed. Her hidden romantic side flowering to the surface, she could not help but cheer for her friends' meeting Izuku – even if they were akin to romantic rivals.

"I... guess it's my turn, and my story isn't as romantic as yours. I met Izuku when I was exploring the streets around here, and he helped me find my way around. At first, we were just friends. Good friends. But then a few days before the exam..."

"What happened?" Itsuka asked.

"We were having a walk together, I don't even remember what we were talking about, when we spotted two girls that were being bullied by a gang. Before I could even react, Izuku went to confront them, and when the gang attacked him, he defeated them, allowing the girls to escape. He was really shocked when he realized he had broken the gang leader's leg in the process, and I ended up comforting him about it. If I had to say it... I fell for him when I realized his courage and his heroic spirit. At first I was like Ochaco, thinking it would eventually go away, but now I know that boy's got me hooked." Momo sighed blissfully.

"So, that reminds me... how come Setsuna didn't come here?" Ochaco asked.

"Oh, yeah. Setsuna does admit that Izuku's attractive, but right now she only sees him as a friend she could hang out with, not as a boyfriend," Itsuka answered, shocking the others: after the display before the USJ invasion, they had thought Setsuna was actually interested in him.

Confessions done with, an awkward silence fell around the four girls, as they acknowledged that all of them had fallen for the green-haired cinnamon roll. Kindness, courage, intelligence, attraction... all that had drawn them to him, and now they did not know if they actually wanted to be taken away.

"So... what should we do, then?" Mina asked, breaking the ice.

"I think we should leave it alone for now," Momo stated, earning confused looks from the others. "Right now we should focus on the Sports Festival, because I am sure none of us want this to distract us or our classmates. This is one of the most important events in our lives, so we can't let this get in the way of that."

"Fair point," Itsuka agreed. "In that case, let's make a pact of silence. Until the Sports Festival is done, we tell no one about this, and we talk to no one but each other."

"Agreed," Momo nodded.

"Let's do this," Mina said.

"I'm okay with that," Ochaco replied.

"However... I do believe we should try to confess to him afterwards," Momo replied, and the others stared at her again. "I don't think we should keep this hidden for too long. If we do... another girl might snatch him from us, before we get that chance."

Momo could see that the others really did not like the idea, and Momo agreed: the image of a faceless girl taking Izuku from them was simply unacceptable.

"So, that settles it, then. We confess after the Sports Festival, and let Izuku decide who he wants to date. Whomever he doesn't choose, we just be friends. Trying to sabotage the relationship or acting jealous is forbidden," Momo proposed. "Any objections?"

Nobody answered.

"Then, it's settled." Itsuka put her hand on the center and the others followed her example, sealing their pact.

And, with that out of the way, the girls continued to do like their classmates and train for the upcoming U.A. Sports Festival. Each student came up with their own personal scenario of training, taking advantage of U.A.'s large grounds, but rarely did they ever train with each other, because, even though they were friends and classmates, they were still competitors looking for the ultimate goal of winning it all.

Soon, the big day of the event would arrive!

* * *

**Me: Sorry that took so long, after posting this chapter I'll immediately start writing the first part of the Sports Festival.**

**Izuku finds a possible secret ability of One for All! Izuku managed to give All Might a much healthier state! Class 1-A and B get crowded on! Izuku rejects his first endorsement deal! The girls confess their love to Izuku to each other and form a pact! The Sports Festival comes!**

**Milarqui: you may have noticed that the endorsement deal scene has changed, with Tokusatsu's permission.**

**Instead of the President of Bandai, it's just a representative. This is because the President of a company – the one who is pretty much in charge of all operations – would not bother himself with meeting a kid who is not even a Pro Hero yet. If it were someone like All Might, he might actually come in, if only as a sign of respect.**

*** The offer in cash has risen to 50,000 yen per week, which is 415€ or 460$ as of this writing (November 9th 2019), going at 1660€/1840$ per month. This, I believe to be just a bit more acceptable than what would amount to be 166€/184$ per month, which is chump change compared to what the company would actually gain.**

*** Also, with the author's blessing, Izuku chose to reject the agreement. The reasons are already stated, but I pointed another thing: Stain. One of Stain's most... memorable things was that he put Izuku on the same level as All Might, considering them both the only people worthy of being named 'heroes'. If Izuku starts to make sponsorship deals when he's just a month into school...**

*** Plus, there were a few problems with the scene in general, namely the possibility that Bandai would have probably disappeared in the two hundred years since Quirks began to show up, the fact that, even if it survived, it would have lost control over the licenses due to copyright laws, and Izuku's enormous faux-pas of signing a contract without reading it and/or taking it to a lawyer experienced in this kind of thing.**

**Me: On a side note, I have done a few things on the previous chapters notably changed several of the dialogue a little along with adding several new scenes in them that you may or may not care to point out in the review.**

**Here is a list of the Izuku's moves that have been seen so far:**

*** Ultraman Beam: Based on the giant alien hero of the _Ultra Series_.**

*** Godzilla Smash: The famous radioactive dinosaur, the King of the Monsters.**

*** Zone Fighter Blast: From _Zone Fighter_, a series about an alien family who lives on Earth, and whose three children fight the alien army that destroyed their home planet when they come to Earth.**

*** Spectreman Cannon: From _Spectreman_, the first major superhero show of the 1970s.**

*** King Kong Smash: After the famous kaiju-sized gorilla from the classic 1933 movie.**

*** Gamera Smash: After a flying turtle kaiju that surprisingly likes children.**

*** Lion-Maru Blade: A ****superpowered anthropomorphic lion, usually wielding a katana.**

*** Giant Robo Wrecker: A manga/anime/Tokusatsu series from 1967-68 about a robot that can only be controlled by one person which is a kid.**

*** Kamen Rider Blitz: A franchise about a motorcycle-riding superhero who fights kaijin since 1971.**

*** King Ghidorah Smash: Godzilla's most famous enemy.**

**Anyways, ****NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS and ****if I get any of it on this story then prepared to get chewed out by me, I will not be put down by any one of you.**

**That's all for now folks and t****hanks for reading.** **I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	8. Sports Festival Pt1

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now we are at the Sports Festival, which to tell you the truth I'm very excited to write. Let's begin!**

**Milarqui: And, once more, tenses, grammar and all kinds of a mess to deal with.**

**Chapter 7: ****Sports Festival Part 1 **

* * *

The day was finally here! It was finally the day the U.A. Sports Festival began! A prime source of entertainment for the people all over Japan, it was also a good source of money for U.A. thanks to the many stands that were built all over the campus: not only did they have to pay a fee to the high school for renting a spot, the merchandise related to either U.A. or Pro Heroes also generated an income from a small part of the fees.

The size of U.A.'s campus was such, that they could afford to have three Olympic-sized stadiums, one for each class year. Normally, the event that attracted the most crowds was the 3rd Year tournament, who were the ones with the last chance to show off, but this time it was the 1st Year students who attracted the most crowds, probably because people wanted to see what the students who had managed to fight off a group of Villains were able to do, especially the one who took down the monster that was the Villains' most powerful member.

"Man, I had hoped to be able to do some scouting," Kamui Woods grumbled, walking around the grounds converted into stalls and streets with Death Arms and Mt. Lady.

"We have to work security... so we don't have much of a choice," Death Arms replied. "You will be able to see them in the screens and later at home."

Mt. Lady, meanwhile, was chowing down on the Takoyaki she had managed to get for free by seducing the stall owner in charge.

"Looks like they called nearly every Pro Hero to help cover security this year," She said.

"That reminds me, do you think that kid's here?" Death Arms asked.

"Absolutely." Kamui Woods grinned. "When I can, I'm going to send him an offer to intern."

"You know... we never actually got his name that day."

The Tree Hero stopped for a second before covering his face with his right hand.

"I suppose that we will be able to learn it today, if he got here in the end, that is," Mt. Lady wisely replied. "We should be able to recognize what he can do."

Ever since the encounter they had with the green-haired boy a year before, the three heroes had dedicated themselves to work much harder than before, having taken his well-meaning criticism to heart. Mt. Lady had been the one that had most changed, taking her job as a Pro Hero more seriously: while she still cared somewhat for the attention (and at times could not help but pose or show off) she was quite careful about the amount of collateral damage caused by her Quirk, and used her Quirk and the increased strength it gave her to make herself more capable of fighting both Villains and disasters – and doing so much good always felt good to her, so she kept that momentum in order to not revert to what she was before.

* * *

**"Class 1-A Waiting Room"**

"Man... I really wanted to wear my costume," Mina complained: she was wearing her PE uniform, but she would have rather taken her hero costume to the tournament.

"We have to keep things fair, Ashido-san," Mashirao replied, stretching his arms. "The other classes don't have costumes, so PE uniforms give everyone a relatively fair chance. Not counting the advantage from Quirks."

"I wonder what the first round's gonna be..." Sato wondered, nervously. "The anticipation is going to kill me."

"It does not matter what comes. We have no choice but to deal with what we are faced with," Fumikage stated, his eyes closed and arms crossed.

"Indeed. We must overcome every obstacle they throw at us," Mezo added, nodding in agreement.

Just then, the door opened, and Momo and Izuku barged into the room.

"Is everybody ready? We'll be entering the stadium soon," Momo asked. One by one, everyone stood, ready to prove to those who saw them their worth as future heroes. However, Shoto chose to approach Izuku as he stretched his limbs.

"Midoriya."

Izuku turned to look at his classmate, and everyone looked at the two of them.

"Is there a problem, Todoroki?" Izuku asked, curious about what the bi-colored teen would want with him so close to the beginning of the ceremony.

"Looking at things objectively, you and I are the strongest people standing in this room, right now. Perhaps you are stronger than me," Shoto stated bluntly, not caring about the other eighteen people listening in on their conversation. While Katsuki bristled at the comment – although thankfully he chose to keep quite – Izuku's eyebrow rose.

"So... All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?"

Izuku fought to keep the look of shock out of his face. Given Shoto's personality and unwillingness to talk to others, he had not realized Shoto was so perceptive that he had noticed his connection to All Might.

"Relax, I do not intend to pry about it," Shoto said, continuing to stare at Izuku. "But I am going to beat you."

Everyone else in the room was quite shocked at the boldness of the statement, particularly when it came so suddenly from a guy who was quite aloof of the rest of the class most of the time.

"Wow! Is the hermit prodigy making a declaration of war on our Deputy Rep?" Denki remarked, grinning, before getting hit on the back of the head by one of Kyoka's jacks. Eijiro chose to put his hand on Shoto's shoulder, trying to be conciliatory.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why are you trying to pick a fight now, out of all times? We are about to begin the Festival!" The red-haired said, trying to ease up the tension before two of his strongest classmates decided to engage in a brawl. Shoto pushed the hand away firmly as he continued to stare down at Izuku, who fired back with a confident smile.

"Can't wait to see you try. But don't forget about everybody else, Todoroki. We're all here to prove ourselves to the world. The students from the other courses are going to be aiming for the top by giving their all to get there! And so am I, and you, and everyone, because we cannot afford to fall behind. Plus, looking at it objectively speaking..."

Izuku was not going to back down from Shoto, no matter what.

"Hey, Midoriya, you probably shouldn't take anything negatively," Eijiro stated, once more trying to calm everyone down.

"We're not the only strong ones here, son of Endeavor. This room has twenty people who are strong enough to win this entire thing, and you would do well in remembering that."

Everyone nodded at the words in agreement, while Shoto just quirked his eyebrows before turning around and beginning to walk for the door. Katsuki, who had just listened in on the conversation, turned his head and sucked his teeth.

Soon, they would be walking towards the center of the arena, where they would show the world what they were made of.

* * *

"Thank you so much for getting us these seats, Yagi-san," Inko thanked her son's mentor as she sat down in the comfortable VIP stands. It wasn't a front-line seat by any means, but it was close enough to the ground that she wouldn't need to squint if she wanted to see her son.

"Hell, yeah! It's so fucking refreshing to be able to see the action without other people getting in your way," Mitsuki added, grinning, much to her husband's chagrin.

"I think she means to say thank you," Masaru apologized, something he was quite used to.

"Think nothing of it," Toshinori replied, once more marveling at how wonderful life was thanks to his newfound health. Many of his fellow teachers had been quite surprised when they saw his 'new' form, and he had also taken advantage of this to eat things he had not tasted in more than half a decade. "A friend of mine, here at U.A., gave me these seats months ago, and suggested me to invite someone. I had not planned to do anything with them, but since your children were going to be here, I chose to invite you."

"Thank fucking god for those friends, then," Mitsuki laughed while Masaru unsuccessfully tried to control his wife's foul mouth.

'_I can see where young Bakugo got his habit from,_' Toshinori thought. Sitting in front next to Inko, while the Bakugos sat right behind them, the four watched as the spectacle began.

"**HEEEEEEEY!**" Present Mic shouted from his booth, causing the crowds to cheer loudly. "**Pay attention, audience and mass media! This year's high-school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A. Sports Festival, is about to begin! Is everybody ready? Because it is time for the first year students to enter the stage!**"

"**Why did I agree to do this?**" Shota grumbled from his seat next to Present Mic, as all the spectators looked towards the tunnel, eagerly waiting for the participants to walk into the stadium.

"**The U.A. Sports Festival! The huge battle where our fledgling Heroes sharpen their swords once a year! And HERE THEY COME!**"

Inko and Toshinori looked on, thinking of the same green haired boy, as the silhouettes of teenagers began to show.

A few seconds later, the students were walking into the stage, led by Izuku, all of them proudly showing their uniforms and waving to the crowd.

"**And these are our Hero Course! Who, in spite of their youth, have managed already to overcome the enemy with hearts on fire and souls of steel! Classes 1-A and 1-B!**"

The crowd cheered wildly: after the news of the attack on the school, people had wondered about how those children had fought off those ruffians, and now they would be able to see it.

Down at the stage, the students looked around at the huge crowd.

"Wow, there are so many people!" Izuku remarked.

"Do you think we will be able to give our best performance, being watched by so many people? This is also part of the training required to become a Hero, right?" Tenya said, doing like his classmate.

"I think he's going overboard with the praise! I'm getting nervous! Are you nervous, Bakugo?" Eijiro asked the ash-blond haired boy.

"Nope! I'm just getting more into it!" Katsuki replied, a maniacal grin plastered over his face.

"**After them, those who shouldn't be underestimated, because they are but a victory close to join their fellows! They are General Studies, Classes 1-C, 1-D and 1-E! After them, the ones that make sure gears turn and wheels run, Support Course, Classes 1-F, 1-G and 1-H! And last, but not least, the ones who learn the ins and outs of our economy and how to help the Heroes, Business Course, Classes 1-I, 1-J and 1-K!**" Present Mic announced as the rest of the freshman classes came through their respective tunnels. While it was true that reception was not as intense as the one that welcomed Hero Course, they nonetheless received the cheering they deserved as pupils of the foremost Hero Academy in Japan.

"Man, I feel like we're just here to make those guys look better," One of the students from General Studies said.

"I'm not really feeling it," Another student replied.

Hitoshi sighed, but chose not to reply. He knew that, had he not been moved to the Hero Course by Aizawa-sensei, he would probably be there saying similar things.

As the first years gathered in the middle of the stage, a loud whipping sound caught their attention.

"Time for the Players' Pledge!" A feminine voice shouted. Pretty much every male in the stadium blushed as they saw the attractive woman on the stand, her whip in hand and a sultry smile on her face.

"**And this is this year's chief umpire for the First Year Tournament, the R-Rated Hero, Midnight!**" Present Mic presented her, while the people in the stands whispered.

"What about the principal?" Someone asked.

"He's always at the third-year stage, every year!"

Most of the male students were flustered, to say the least: in an affliction common to most male teenagers, the sight of a beautiful woman was not conducive to maintaining a poker face. Even if she was their Art teacher, her choice of costume today was much more revealing than the norm.

"What is Midnight-sensei wearing? Isn't it a bit... revealing?" Eijiro asked, his face turning as red as his hair while he gazed.

"That's the R-Rated Hero for you!" Denki answered.

"Is it really okay for her to conduct the events of this tournament, even though she is not wearing clothes appropriate for the scene?" Fumikage wondered.

"YES!" Denki exclaimed, shooting him a big thumbs up.

"Of course you would say that..." Hitoshi told the electric boy, who looked back at him.

"QUIET, EVERYONE!" Midnight yelled, whipping the air again in order to catch everyone's attention. "Now, representing the students is Midoriya Izuku, from Class 1-A!"

Every eye turned to the green-haired teenager, who knew this was because he had scored the highest during the Entrance Exam, so he was not shocked: instead, he walked to the front of the stage and stood next to the microphone, right next to the teacher, who smiled at him.

"Knock'em dead, kid," She whispered, winking at him as she stepped back.

'_Here it goes,_' He thought, trying to come up with something good to say.

"I pledge... that not all people are created equally. That is the reality I learned when I was just four years old. I learned that, in reality, the world is not fair at all. The world is not all sunshine and rainbows, but a cruel and unforgiving place. Most people will have a harder life than others. Eventually, I came to realize that I was one of the lucky ones... but others aren't, unfortunately."

Izuku paused: he had already caught everyone's attention, and apart from the usual sounds it seemed as if no one was making noise.

"One day, I saw two girls that were being bullied by a gang, because one of them was Quirkless, while the other had what some might call an useless Quirk. Normally, if someone else saw that they would probably decide to mind their own business and look the other way. But I decided I wasn't just going to simply ignore when innocent people are in danger. So, without thinking, I jumped in. My body just moved on its own, doing what it had always been doing... and I went in to defend the girls by forcing the gang to go away, even if people told me not to bother. Why would I keep defending people, you may ask? The answer is simple. It is because life isn't about how powerful one is."

"It is about how hard of a hit you can take, and keep getting up in order to stand up for what is right! It is also about how much you keep moving forward in order to protect and save the innocent, no matter what you are! Even if most of you are considered weak... anybody that participates here today is not a coward. Now, if you know what your worth is, then go out and prove to the world that you are truly worthy of being here! That's how winning is achieved! By showing we are all better than what we were yesterday!" Izuku yelled. His words were hitting home with everybody in the arena, as they kept watching, speechless. Izuku took one final breath before he ended the speech.

"Your dreams can become reality, no matter what they are. You will face obstacles and other challenges in life that you can overcome if you work very hard for them... then, you will eventually reach them!" He took a bow at his classmates and to the public. "Thank you all, for your time here, and may we have the best Sports Festival that will be remembered throughout the ages! PLUS ULTRA!"

Izuku walked down the stairs off the stage and rejoined his classmates.

At the rest of the stadium, first there was only silence, so much that one could probably hear a pin drop. But then, a few seconds later, one person began clapping. Then a second one followed. Then a third... a fourth... a fifth... and soon enough everyone was on their feet, giving a round of applause to Izuku, showing the respect and admiration they now had for his words.

Izuku smiled at the realization that the applause was directed at him, feeling that feeling one had when you achieved something extraordinary.

"That was so manly! I have never heard such wise words before. They were truly inspiring, hitting me harder than any punch I could ever throw! Thank you, Midoriya!" Eijiro said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"That was so motivating, Midoriya!" Tetsutetsu cheered from the middle of his group.

"Well said, Midoriya," Neito said, smiling as he applauded the speech. No matter his rivalry with Class 1-A, he could not help but admit it had been quite good.

Meanwhile, Itsuka, Mina, Momo and Ochaco were also applauding Izuku, who was smiling as he tried to fend off some of his more boisterous classmates.

"**YEEEAAAAAAHHHH! Everybody give it up for MIDORIYA IZUKU! That speech will definitely be remembered in the future!**" Present Mic announced, heard even through the wild cheering of the crowd.

"**I gotta hand it to you, kid. Respect is given when it is earned, and you have not only impressed me... you have earned my respect. That is something not a lot of people have been able to achieve. So, consider yourself honored, Midoriya,**" Shota said through the speakers, proud to have a student like him.

Elsewhere in the stands, other Heroes reacted: Vlad King nodded, closing his eyes as he went over what the young man who had saved him said. Endeavor smirked, the fire around him increasing in heat and intensity, making others thankful that they were not anywhere close to him.

And Toshinori, trying to help Inko calm down from her crying outburst with the aid of Masaru and Mitsuki, could not get the smug smirk off of his face.

'_Yes, Midoriya! You have done it, my boy! You have officially told the world you are here, and that you are here to stay!_'

"That's my son!" Inko yelled in a proud voice.

"Kid's sure something, Inko-chan," Mitsuki remarked, smiling as she dried her friend's eyes, used as she was to it, with her husband nodding in agreement.

And, down at the stage, two students had been remanded silent: Bakugo, whose jaw was now hanging as his former friend was congratulated by pretty much all the students in the year, and Shoto, who knew that Izuku was clearly the real deal.

"Thank you, Midoriya, for that beautiful Pledge. You have certainly inspired the hearts of everybody in this arena, INCLUDING MINE! But now, let's get started right away!" Midnight exclaimed.

"U.A. does everything 'right away', huh?" Ochaco mumbled, a feeling echoed by her friends and rivals, who, like so many other girls around, had their minds occupied by a certain cinnamon roll. They had known he was good, but still it was a shock to hear him give such a heartfelt speech.

'_You are certainly an interesting person, Midoriya. Definitely different from the rest. I can't wait to see you in action once more,_' Hitoshi thought. That day when he sat with him at the canteen, he had believed Midoriya would look down on him and his Quirk, like so many had before, but instead he had complimented it and outright stated that he would become a great Hero. And then, during the USJ incident, while he let his Quirk loose on the villain teleporter, Midoriya had fought the Noumu on his own and _won_. And now, instead of pledging to win the festival, as others had done before, instead he had asked everyone to give their best.

That was a feeling many of the other students also had. Used as they were to being overlooked in favor of the Hero Course, hearing such humble and encouraging words from a student from Class 1-A was a surprise: instead of being ignored, Izuku had made sure to include them in the speech, and their views shattered, now they grew a newfound respect for him.

"The first game will be the qualifier! Only a limited number of competitors will be allowed to pass to the next stage! Many have drunk tears at the end! Now, here is the fateful first game!" Midnight announced, whipping the air again to give power to her words, as a giant holographic roulette appeared right behind her and began to spin. Everyone looked intently at it as it slowed down. "This year, it will be..."

Finally, the wheel stopped, pointing at two words.

"OBSTACLE RACE!"

"An obstacle race?" Izuku asked, wondering how an obstacle race would work out in the Sports Festival.

"The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium, which is close to four kilometers long! Now, our school's selling point is freedom..." Midnight gave a rather malicious lick to her lips before continuing. "So, as long as you stay on the course, everything goes!"

"**Of course, it goes without saying, that you have to run the entire course,**" Shota piped in. "**That means that trying to go out and then back in to reach the finish line, even if they are in the same place, is completely forbidden!**"

"**Ah, good catch!**" Present Mic added in reply.

"Now, then, take your places, everyone!" Midnight yelled, and the crowd cheered as excitement filled the air, as the students began to move to the tunnel that led to the starting line.

As Izuku got ready, the words of All Might reverberated in his mind.

"_I want you to tell the world **I AM HERE!**_"

And, as he looked into the eyes of the other students, he could see nothing but the unbreakable will and determination to do their best and excel. He now realized the effect his words had had on his peers: he had lit a fire in their hearts, urging them to go beyond what they would have had if it were not for his pledge. Seeing this brought a smile to his face, as his words had had the effect he had wanted them to have.

The countdown started as the first of three green lights went out.

'_Mom and All Might have put all their faith in me. I can't let them down. I have to win. I have to go even further!_' Izuku thought.

The second light went out.

Up in the stands, Toshinori folded his hands, anxiously waiting for the race to begin, while Inko had her hands clasping her mouth in anxious anticipation.

'_PLEASE, WATCH ME!_'

Now, Izuku's eyes glowed with green energy, as electricity began to surge through his legs.

The final light went out.

"START!"

* * *

Immediately, all the students began to charge towards the exit of the tunnel: gaining a good lead in those precious seconds was vital.

"**OKAY! Here's the play-by-play! Are you ready to do the commentary, Mummy Man?**" Present Mic asked Shota.

"**You are the one who forced me to come in the first place,**" Shota lazily replied in complaint, something that Present Mic ignored.

"**Let us get started right away, Mummy Man! What should we pay attention to in the early stages?**"

"**This part right now,**" Shota replied.

Inside the tunnel, complaints aroused as the participants were smashed up together, all trying to run through the tunnel at the same time. It was too narrow and small for all of them to fit, and many thought it had been built precisely to test how they would go through it.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped, and many students felt their feet and legs getting frozen up, just as a bi-colored teen easily ran past them.

"Sorry, but I have to win," Shoto said, leaving a trail of ice right behind him, while those afflicted were left trying to hack the ice apart. Many of them yelled in agony as they couldn't move forward, due to the ice that trapped them, courtesy of Endeavor's son.

"TAKE THAT, STUPID ICE!" Katsuki yelled, using his explosions to jump above the other students and past Shoto's ice trail.

"Nice try, Todoroki!" Itsuka said, blocking the ice with her enlarged fists.

"Naïve, Todoroki," Momo huffed, using two long staffs to jump over the ice.

"Like that's gonna keep me down!" Tetsutetsu said as he smashed the ice with his steel arms.

"Your frost can't escape my sparkle!" Yuga stated, firing a beam that allowed him to jump over the crowd as Eijiro broke through the ice thanks to his Hardening Quirk and Togaru sliced what ice had fallen on him.

"You got me once with that, you won't get me again," Mashirao stated, jumping over the ice.

"Whew, that was close!" Mina shouted, using her acid to melt the ice and skate across towards the exit.

"I can't even use my special move yet..." Ochaco lamented, walking across the ice trail with difficulty.

Meanwhile, Hitoshi had easily 'convinced' four students to carry him across the ice.

"I won't let you get away so easily, you half-and-half bastard!" Katsuki yelled, igniting more of his sweat to get an extra boost.

Shoto looked back and saw that his trap had not been as successful as he had hoped.

"More people outside of 1-A and 1-B dodged than I had expected..." He muttered, before he looked in front of him and struggled not to let his jaw drop in shock.

Izuku had easily averted the ice trap by simply going at a ridiculously fast pace, faster than the ice could spread, leaving behind streaks of his signature green energy. He had just ran past everybody else, and now he was clearly on the lead.

'_WHAT? I didn't even see him move! How is he running that fast without tiring?_' Shoto wondered.

"**WOAH! It seems like Midoriya is already in the lead! I didn't even notice until now!**" Present Mic shouted, surprised as were most of the spectators at how the green-haired future hero had, somehow, taken the lead without being seen moving.

"**That's what happens when you don't pay attention. If you had been looking carefully right when the race began, you would have seen that Midoriya had already used his Quirk to run past all the other competitors. Clearly, he figured out that the tunnel would be too narrow to fit in all the students and made the rational decision to be the first going through,**" Shota stated, knowing that his student would not have fallen for Todoroki's trick.

Izuku, meanwhile, looked behind to see Shoto trailing him, and he smirked.

"Nice trick you pulled with the ice over there, Todoroki! But you are going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me!"

Shoto's eyes hardened at the taunt.

"Why, you–"

Before Shoto could finish, he saw Izuku suddenly coming to a grinding halt. As he slowed down, he found out exactly why his classmate had stopped.

"_Targets found... Lots!_"

Izuku looked up to see a Zero Pointer, identical to the one he had destroyed during the Entrance Exam, as its red eye gleamed down on him, locking onto Izuku as its target.

"**Obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with the first barrier, _ROBO INFERNO!_**" Present Mic announced as more Zero Pointers began to emerge, setting their sights on the participants.

"Holy shit, the Zero Pointers from the exam!" Denki said horrified as the horde of robots approached them.

"The Hero Course had to fight _those_?"

"This is what they meant by obstacles?"

"There are too many! I can't get through!"

"So, this is what the rest of my peers had to fight in the Entrance Exam," Shoto told himself, looking at the Zero Pointers for the first time.

"Where did they get all the money to pay for these?" Momo wondered, because she was sure they had to be expensive.

Before Shoto could make a move, Izuku shot himself flying towards the closest of the robots, anger showing in his face.

"This is for giving so much grief during the Exam!" Izuku screamed as he cocked his arm back, lightning and energy flowing through it.

The closest faux villain moved its arm to swat Izuku down, but he just swatted it away himself before throwing his attack.

"**GOMORA SMASH!**" Izuku roared, and his One for All-powered punch right into the faux-villain's body.

The resulting impact sent the Zero Pointer flying backward, crashing into several others, as a domino effect started to blow them one after another.

* * *

"What the... Inko, when has Izuku been able to do something like _that_?" Mitsuki shouted.

"He-he has been working out r-recently," Inko stuttered, "but I didn't think he'd be _that_ strong!"

"It seems to be some sort of secondary Quirk," Masaru noted, causing both mothers to turn towards him. "In the beginning, he was projecting energy from his body, but there were also arcs of electricity wrapping around his body at the same time, empowering him."

'_This man... he's very sharp. I guess that's where Bakugo got a good part of his intelligence,_' Toshinori thought nervously, carefully wiping the cold sweat on his forehead.

"Yagi-san... did you know anything about this?" Inko asked, turning towards him. "You helped train him during the months before the Entrance Exam... you must know something."

"Um, well, yes," Toshinori replied, willing himself (somewhat unsuccessfully) to calm down. "It was during the middle of training that we realized it was a part of his Quirk. Some kind of hidden aspect within Superpower."

"Really? Then he should've told me that. I'm going to have a word with him when the festival is over," Inko said, acquiring the typical 'Almighty Mom' tone.

'_Crud. This is not good. I'll have to talk to Midoriya... and apologize for throwing him under the bus like this,_' Toshinori thought, turning back to the screen. '_Still, that was one way to get everyone's attention away from it... for now._'

* * *

After destroying the faux villains, Izuku landed gracefully back on the ground, surrounded by scrap, under the astonished gaze of pretty much everyone.

"Tch. I expected more of a challenge," Izuku stated, disappointed, before he once more began to push energy and accelerating to continue the race.

"**WOW! And, just like that, Midoriya destroys several Zero Pointers like they were pebbles on the road! What a display of immense strength and speed, as he continues to run, still in the lead!**" Present Mic exclaimed, as the spectators, both those in the stadium and those watching from home, became impressed with the display of power shown by the green haired teenager. Many Pro Heroes began to shift their eyes to Izuku with great interest.

Shoto sucked his teeth in annoyance, as his declared rival ran in the distance.

"Tch, I can't let him outperform me!" He growled, frost starting to accumulate in his right hand. "Since they went through all this trouble, I wish they could have prepared something better – since _that man_ is watching."

Immediately, he swiped his right arm upwards, freezing a horde of Zero Pointers with absolute ease, as he created ice under his feet to run forward. The affected Zero pointers stopped functioning as Shoto's ice freezed their circuits.

"Look, he stopped them!"

"We can get through between the legs!"

Many of the participants began to go through the opening Shoto had made.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Shoto said, running in second place behind Izuku. "I froze them while they were off balance for a good reason," he said in a monotone as the Zero Pointers collapsed on the groups of students. Several were injured, but none too grave – but it effectively immobilized them.

"**Todoroki from Class 1-A attacks and defeats multiple Zero Pointers in one hit, only to use that to trap his fellow competitors under the ice! He is now on Midoriya's trail, catching up to him from the second place! You know, I think this is a tad unfair,**" Present Mic stated, with the audience clearly agreeing at how overpowered Shoto's Quirk was, even if it paled in comparison to Izuku's.

"**His actions are rational and strategic,**" Shota said, observing how his aloof pupil advanced towards Izuku.

"**As expected of someone who got in through recommendations! He had never fought them before, but even Robo Inferno could not survive his elite moves!**"

"Like Hell I'm letting Half-n-half and Deku surpass me!" Katsuki yelled, and threw his Quirk into overdrive to blast himself up towards the head of one of the Zero Pointers.

"**And Bakugo, also from Class 1-A, clearly does not intend to throw the towel! Since the bottom's blocked, he goes overhead! Clever!**" Present Mic announced as Katsuki landed and, with a grin, fired a focused blast right into it.

As he expected, the robot was weak enough to not survive the blast, losing its head while he flew away.

"Now, nobody can accuse me of not taking out one of these!" Katsuki said, smirking as he propelled forward behind Izuku and Shoto.

It wasn't just the power trio of 1-A that made it through easily, though: it was only a matter of seconds before the other students from the Hero Course blazed through the obstacle, either the ice or the robots.

"As expected, 1-A and 1-B are the fastest to make it through the obstacles," Snipe noted from the teachers' cabin.

"The other students aren't bad, either, especially the ones from General Studies who have a chance to get into the Hero Course," Thirteen commented. "It's just..."

"**1-A and 1-B are not people who spend a lot of time standing around,**" Shota mentioned from the booth.

The audience gazed at the screens, at the images streamed by the drones who were filming everything. Showing how the students from the Hero Classes breezed through the first obstacle. Tenya kicking away several robots, Ibara using her vines to launch them against each other, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu ripping them apart and using the remains as ammunition against the others...

"**Both classes have experienced firsthand the world before them through the incident at the USJ.**"

Mina run ahead, leaving behind several robots destroyed by acid.

"**Those who had fear planted in their hearts...**"

Setsuna split her body in order to attack the robots, destroying them with ease.

"**They have dealt with it and pulled through. They have all used that experience to drown out their hesitation,**" Shota stated, acknowledging what his students and Vlad's had gone through, and he was proud that they were using that experience to fuel and drive them in their pursuit of glory and victory in the Sports Festival.

Multiple explosions were heard as the Zero pointers got dealt with. As the students kept running, a motor was heard, and suddenly many had to get out of the way as a motorized scooter with three passengers sped across the field and forward: Momo, who was driving, had created the scooter in just a few moments, and was even now munching on an energetic bar provided to her by Ochaco, who was sitting behind her and being grabbed from behind by a floating Itsuka, whom Ochaco had used her power on.

Needless to say, the students were gobsmacked as the scooter ran into the distance, soon going behind the trail of the boys ahead.

"She created a _scooter_?" One random student asked.

"No wonder she got in through recommendations!"

"Less gawking, more running!" Another student said, as the other participants kept running for the next part of the obstacle race.

"During the Entrance Exam, they were seen as enemies to be avoided. If you see them as things to be defeated, they are just dumb hunks of metal, and you soon start to see obvious openings," Snipe said, clearly intrigued about the Hero Course classes.

* * *

Izuku took a peek back, and saw that Shoto and Katsuki were quickly pursuing him, followed by... Momo, Ochaco and Itsuka riding a motorized scooter? And Tenya was not far behind, thanks to his Quirk. He then sensed something was in front of him and looked forward, before quickly stamping his legs down to brake, just in time to not fall off a cliff.

"**Hey, hey, hey! The first barrier was a piece of cake, huh? Then... what about the second?**" Present Mic gleefully stated as Izuku took in on the scene.

In front of him was what seemed to be a bottomless pit. Tall platforms were spaced out between both sides of the pit, but the platforms were so far apart from each other that it seemed like it would be impossible to jump between them. In between each platform were several long, narrow trails of rope, that Izuku honestly believed did not seem to be stable enough to hold the weight of a couple of students.

"**If you fall, you're out! And, if you don't want to fall, then you'll have to crawl! It is _THE FALL!_**"

Izuku carefully looked at the obstacle, before deciding he had the means to get through and took two steps back. Running forward, he empowered his jump with his energy, giving himself enough air time to jump between platforms without having to use the ropes, exquisitely timing them to reach each platform with enough speed to be able to continue running and make the next jump, until he was finally across and continued to run.

All that could be seen was as if a streak of green had been bouncing from the platforms like a ball.

"**IMPRESSIVE! Midoriya gets through the second obstacle as if it weren't even there and increases his lead!**" Present Mic announced, the crowd cheering as the students started to run into sight of the Pit.

"So, you think you can win that easily, Midoriya? Think again!" Shoto yelled, creating an ice bridge connecting the platforms and sliding across.

"DAMN IT, DEKU! Don't think you are going to keep that lead for any longer!" Katsuki yelled, irate at the fact that Izuku did not seem to be even tired. Several explosions lifted him and even more boosted him across, ignoring the pit and the platforms as he made it over the obstacle.

"Wow! I didn't know Dekiru-kun could jump so high!" Ochaco exclaimed, in shock and admiration, as Momo stopped the scooter, also shocked at how the boy she and her partners in crime liked had overcome the second obstacle. The three dismounted and silently agreed to choose their path on their own: Momo made a staff and started to balance herself on one of the wires, Itsuka used her giant hands to swing herself across and Ochaco reluctantly used her Quirk on herself (fighting nausea all the way through) and pulled herself across by holding onto the wires with her hands.

A pink-haired girl wearing goggles and a wide assortment of gadgets arrived to the cliff, smiling.

"Glitter! Here it is! This is my chance to show off! It's time for my babies to be in the spotlight!" she said, manic as she approached the edge. The moment she crossed the frontier, her rocket boots activated, and soon she was on the other side. "WOOHOO! Another Hatsume baby for the win!"

"Damn, that's some misplaced equality," Mina complained as she began to make use of her dancing training to get across the pit, while Hitoshi – now bereft of his "porters" – at seeing that even the kids from Support Course were proving their worth today.

'_My older brother is probably also watching, I can't let him see me act so uncool!_' Tenya thought, seeing that several of his classmates had already crossed: he could not let himself be left behind in the dust, not when this was a speed competition, so he landed on the closest rope and fired up the engines in his calves to thrust himself forward.

Further ahead, Shoto looked behind him to find Katsuki gaining up on him.

"He is truly getting fired up. Perhaps a slow starter?" He wondered as he kept running forward.

"Damn it!" Katsuki growled, noticing that Shoto was picking up speed even more than before, so he gave more of a boost to his explosions, increasing his speed as well.

* * *

"**That is definitely uncool!**" Present Mic shouted, watching the race for the lead continue, and a good part of the audience agreed with him.

"Damn, those three kids are really gunning for it," Someone commented.

"The one in second place, his Quirk's really powerful, and his natural athletic ability and judgement are a cut above everyone else's," His seat neighbor stated.

"Of course it is! That's Endeavor's son."

"Well, no wonder he's that good! He's got the blood of the Number Two hero of Japan, huh?"

"What about the other two? The kid with the green energy punched out that large robot in one shot! Not to mention, he's just as athletic as him, perhaps more, considering he FREAKING crossed the pit like it wasn't even there!"

"Yeah, and with that power... it was like watching a freaking mini-All Might in action!"

"What about the explosion dude?"

"I don't know, all he's done so far is to play catch up to the other two."

"But, he's very versatile and strong! And, if you haven't noticed, he's been getting faster the longer this race goes on!"

* * *

"**The leading three keep their position, while the pack remains clumped together! The number of people that will make it through has yet to be revealed so no one can relax yet! Push forward, students!**" Present Mic exclaimed, and the competitors continued to rush through the obstacle course, intent on making sure none of them would get left behind.

Izuku, meanwhile, was still running when he saw the last obstacle ahead of him: a large expansion with a sign before it.

_DANGER, MINES!_

"**And now, we have reached the final obstacle! The reality here is... that it is a minefield! Set up so that the runners can tell where the mines are by looking carefully, so you better make good use of eyes and legs, children! And don't worry, the landmines are not that powerful, just powerful enough to make a lot of noise and flash, enough to make you wet your pants!**"

"**That last part depends on the person...**" Shota commented, clearly not thinking they could make someone pee themselves.

In the racing ground, as Shoto kept approaching, Izuku looked around.

'_I see. This obstacle course has been designed to put those in the lead at a disadvantage, trying to make it entertaining for everyone watching?_' Shoto thought, looking as Izuku made a choice and began to jump around the mines, trying to avoid them.

That was when Shoto heard a yell from behind him.

"This shit doesn't affect me!" Katsuki screamed, exploding his way above the minefield, passing Shoto – who felt the surprise taking a hold on him – and immediately gunning for Izuku. "Don't you fucking dare get ahead of me, Deku!"

Katsuki threw an explosion at Izuku, who immediately dodged the attack and retaliated by firing an energy bullet. Instinctively, Katsuki managed to dodge the bullet and began to pepper the ground with explosions, trying to knock Izuku out, but the latter was more than capable at the art of avoiding being struck.

"**OH, MY! We now have a new competitor taking second place! Rejoice, mass media, it's the kind of development you guys love!**" Present Mic yelled through the speakers as the crowd cheered loudly, finally getting to see two students duking it out for a place, head to head.

With Izuku and Katsuki busy fighting each other, Shoto was able to get closer and closer to them, slowly, taking advantage of their distraction and waiting for the right opportunity to strike. When Izuku blocked a blast from Katsuki, Shoto swooped in.

"Sorry, I need to prove a point," Shoto stated, letting his ice loose on the two.

Before the giant glacier could encase them, though, Izuku noticed the sneak attack and immediately gathered dark green energy all around himself.

"**GIANT ROBO WRECKER!**" He shouted, releasing the energy in a massive flash. The pulse wave caused the mines within its blast radius to start blowing up, creating a huge dust cloud that covered the obstacle course from the spectators as the glacier itself seemed to break apart.

"**Ooh, would you look at that! Midoriya causes a chain reaction with the mines and covers everything under a dust cloud while averting Todoroki's attack!**"

* * *

"WHAT THE FU-" Mitsuki shouted, only for Masaru to cover her mouth before she just cursed loud enough to be heard all across the stadium.

"Izuku!" Inko exclaimed, worriedly looking at the large dust cloud."

"Do not worry, he will be fine," Toshinori said, placing a hand on her shoulder, although he kept glancing at the cloud with worry.

'_Come on, Midoriya! Don't let it end like this!_' He thought, willing the cloud to disperse or for something to happen – and then his frown turned upside down as he saw what happened next.

After a few seconds of nothing, suddenly someone sprinted out of the cloud – Izuku, now running like his life depended on it, nothing holding him back from his goal.

"**Look at this, listeners! Midoriya has cleared the minefield in an instant and now there's only the goal ahead!**"

"**Clever thinking,**" Shota stated. "**Even though he essentially got rid of all the obstacles his opponents had ahead, making their path much easier, he in turn managed to get a really big lead that, unless something else happens, will get him the first place in the race. Very rational choice, he will make it far as a Pro Hero.**"

Out of the cloud came then Shoto, using his ice to propel himself as fast as possible, followed but a second behind by Katsuki and his explosions.

"**ERASERHEAD, YOUR CLASS IS AMAZING!**" Present Mic shouted into the microphone, almost deafening the teacher, who promptly turned to glare at him.

"Hey, I heard that!" Vlad King shouted from the teacher's box. "Don't you dare discount my class, Hizawa!"

Present Mic ignored his fellow teacher as he kept his commentary.

"**What are you teaching them, that they are doing these things?**"

"**The usual, but I'm afraid I cannot take credit for this,**" Shota said, sighing as the cameras focused on the three teenagers now running first, second and third, as they finally reached the tunnel that led into the stadium, the finish line.

"**And here they come! This is the end of the line! Who could have predicted the developments at the beginning, much less this conclusion?**" Present Mic exclaimed in wonder, with the audience now eagerly waiting on who would come through the tunnel first.

Peeking above his shoulder, Izuku turned around and began to run backwards, whistling to get Shoto and Katsuki's attention.

"Hey, Bakugo!"

Katsuki went completely livid at seeing Izuku pretty much mocking him, and he kicked in a higher gear, trying to reach Izuku fast, while Shoto's eyes widened in shock at what he was seeing: Izuku closing one of his eyes while sticking out his tongue right at Katsuki.

Taunt finished, he turned around again and put even more energy into his legs, crossing the tunnel at the highest speed, so fast that the cameras barely had the time to catch him before he entered the stadium.

"**And Midoriya makes a huge energetic splash as he wins the Obstacle Course!**"

Rainbow-colored confetti dropped as the crowd cheered furiously, as Izuku crossed the finish line and stopped running, turning his movement down to a fast walk. He was slightly burned out, but still standing and grinning, and as he took a moment to look around and observe everyone that was cheering and applauding for him, he stuck a fist into the air in victory.

* * *

Outside the stadium, Death Arms, Kamui Woods and Mt. Lady heard the announcement and went to the closest screen, already keeping the name in their minds, which was quite easy to discern due to how loud Present Mic was screaming it into his microphone. Then they saw who had won the race and the three of them smiled.

"Midoriya Izuku, huh?" Mt. Lady mused.

"Looks like we were right," Death Arms said, grinning as he nudged Kamui Woods. "He got first place in the first event."

"It's been... what, a year since we saw him destroy that sludge villain, right?" The Tree Hero said.

"And he's even stronger than he was back then, if the fact that he got the first position says something," Death Arms added.

"Well, now it's only a matter of who gets him," Mt. Lady stated, shrugging as she ignored the ravenous fans that had started to congregate around her, eager for autographs and photos, being more focused on the green-haired boy shown in the screens. "Even if he loses at the finals, that kid's going to get swamped with offers."

Death Arms and Kamui Woods nodded in agreement, before excusing themselves to the fans and going back to their security patrol.

* * *

In a dark room, a certain young man who happened to be the leader of the League of Villains was watching the Sports Festival from a computer.

"That damned brat is..." He growled, as he began to viciously scratch his neck.

* * *

In another building, a man in a business suit was watching the Sports Festival from the TV screen in his office.

"Well done, Midoriya," Omocha muttered, lamenting his lack of success at convincing the boy to sign. This would have been quite the boon to the company.

* * *

"IZUKU!" Inko cried out in happiness, tears starting to geyser out of her eyes. Mitsuki, used to her friend's ability to cry that way, immediately set out to help her before she dehydrated while her husband patted her in the back.

"There, there, Inko-chan, let it all out," She said, waving at both Izuku and her son – who was now glaring at Izuku. She needed to have another talk with the boy sometime soon.

Toshinori, meanwhile, was clapping and smiling down at Izuku, proudly looking as he turned around, his fist high in the air, until he turned at him and pointed it towards his idol.

'_That's how you make a statement, Midoriya! Great job! Show them why you are worthy of the mantle of being the next Symbol of Peace and Justice!_' Toshinori thought, barely able to contain his excitement for his successor, overjoyed at seeing how he was slowly becoming more mature as both person and Hero. '_This Festival is a competition for the top, even if it means defeating friends and classmates. Right now, Heroes depend a lot on their popularity, so they need to have that desire to be above all others. At your core, you are a True Hero who wants to help and protect others, and that's why I chose you, even when I thought it was a weakness. I worried over nothing. But, well, at least you aren't crying your eyes out._'

Then, his ears perked up when he heard wind of Izuku's name from below him, near the arena floor.

"So, what do you think?"

"Midoriya's stock is going to climb really fast."

"That's certainly true. His Quirk looks to be quite powerful! Such a display of power, enough to destroy one of the faux villains in one shot... If you took on his agency's management, how would you market him? Opinions?"

"What about you?"

"He is slightly above average in looks, although he still distills that feeling of innocence, no matter what. He definitely has a strong and defined muscular frame, and from what I have heard, he has a very brilliant mind! We could easily highlight those parts, but we would need a lot of raw material to work with..."

'_Business Course. They never change, don't they?_'

While the Business Course students participated in the Festival, for the higher years it was less about the participation per se and more about cultivating their instincts by selling merchandise or doing marketing simulations – they had a lot of free time coming in on the Festival, so they had no qualms in considering how to apply their skills to the up-and-coming Heroes.

Meanwhile, Shoto and Katsuki – who had arrived second and third a few seconds after Izuku crossed the finish line – were now panting, trying to regain their breath from the enormous effort they had made in running the entire obstacle race. Shoto was fairly calmed down, staring at Izuku and wondering how he had done everything, while Katsuki clutched his arms, trying to stop them from shaking after so many explosions in such a short time.

"Again... damn.. damn it! Damn you, Deku!" Katsuki cursed, gritting his teeth.

"**And now, they are finishing one after another! We'll show the list of the results later, but for now, good work, and congratulations to all of you!**" Present Mic announced as the pack started to filter into the arena. Shoto began to walk back to the locker room, thinking about how to deal with Izuku.

Itsuka came in next, closely followed by Momo, who reached the line a second before Tenya, and after them came Ochaco. All of them had taken advantage of the path Izuku and Shoto had carved across the minefield, and had just averted the problematic obstacle.

"Dekiru-kun! You were amazing!" Ochaco cheered joyfully, hopping over to him and jumping into his arms. Izuku noted that she had small bags under her eyes, showing that she had slightly overworked her Quirk. "First place is amazing!"

"Indeed. I offer my congratulations to you," Momo said, bowing.

"I knew you could do it!" Itsuka said, smiling as she also gave Izuku a quick hug. "Pity that I couldn't catch up to you fast enough, though."

"Damn, with a Quirk like mine and I was only sixth? I can't believe it," Tenya mumbled, depressed.

"Hey, look at it on the bright side, Tenya-kun. You still beat a lot of people, and you are a shoo-in for the next stage," Izuku complimented Tenya.

"But, even with the obstacles, this should have been my area of specialty." Tenya sighed before looking up. "I'll just have to try harder in the next round, then!"

Izuku nodded with a grin, looking at his hand.

'_I am going to put my real ability to test after this..._'

"The first game of the First-Year Tournament is finally over!" Midnight announced as the last of the students trickled in. "Let's take a look at the results!"

_1st: Midoriya Izuku_

_2nd: Todoroki Shoto_

_3rd: Bakugo Katsuki_

_4th: Kendo Itsuka_

_5th: Yaoyorozu Momo_

_6th: Iida Tenya_

_7th: Uraraka Ochaco_

And so forth, going all the way to Aoyama Yuga, who had managed to place 42nd and was currently clutching his stomach in pain. Glancing at the board, he noted that everyone in the Hero Course had made it to the top 42, the only students outside being Hatsume Mei from the Support Course, who had managed to arrive ninth, and a guy named Agoyamato Tsutsutaka, who had taken the thirty-fifth position.

"The top 42 make it to the next round! It is unfortunate that not everyone can make it in! The next competition begins soon, and the press will be all over it! Give it your all!"

With another swipe of her whip, Midnight welcomed once more the holographic spinning wheel as it turned at high speeds, ready to show the next game.

"Now, this is the second game. I already know what it is, but what could it be? Here it is..." Midnight taunted as the wheel stopped turning, landing on the words '_Cavalry Battle_'

"A cavalry battle? Man, I'm bad at those," Denki mumbled, clearly unexcited at what was going to come over for the next event.

"Since it's not an individual event, how will it work?" Tsuyu asked, confused, much like everyone else, about what they were going to do in this time.

"Allow me to explain! The participants may form teams of two to four people, as they wish! It is basically the same as a regular cavalry battle," Midnight explained, as a screen showed an image of Thirteen holding up All Might as the horse rider and Present Mic supporting him from behind. "The main difference is that... based on the results of the first game, each person will be assigned a point value!"

"A point-based system, like the Entrance Exam? That's easy to understand," Sato said, nodding as he got the point of the game.

"So, each team is worth different points depending on who is in the team!" Ochaco concluded.

"I see!" Mina said, also getting the gist of it.

Midnight violently swiped her whip, getting a tad too close to the speaking students.

"I am still talking! Weren't you guys trained not to interrupt someone when they are talking?" She stated, playfully glaring at them all and causing most of the students to instinctively shrink to avoid drawing in her wrath. "But, yes, that is completely correct! The points assigned go up five, starting from the bottom, so the 42nd place gets five points, the 41st gets ten and so on!"

"Oh, then, it's pretty simple. Since I got first place, that means I have 210 points, right?" Izuku said, calculating his score.

Midnight chose to give Izuku a sadistic smirk that made him dread what was about to be revealed as she pointed the whip at him.

"Not quite, Midoriya! You see, there is one key exception to this rule. The point value assigned to first place is... TEN MILLION!" She announced.

He wished he had remembered that particular rule from previous years, because now he was looking like an idiot, as everything went completely silent.

"What," Izuku said, his mind trying to register what Midnight had just said.

"In other words, if you take down the first place player's team..."

"... you stand at the top, no matter where you began with!" Everyone said in unison, setting their target seekers on one person... Midoriya Izuku.

"That's right! It is survival of the fittest, where even those at the bottom can overthrow the ones at the top!" Midnight exclaimed, as Izuku remained unresponsive for a while... but Midnight realized that he did not seem to look scared or nervous.

After thinking about the event parameters, Izuku could not help but smirk and start to laugh, clearly excited at what was going to happen.

Those who were close enough to see and hear him started to realize that maybe it would not be as easy as they believed.

"So... this is going to be everyone against me? Then, bring it on, everyone! Because I won't go down without a fight!" Izuku cried out to the 41 remaining participants.

Even Midnight shivered in fear, wondering what kind of monster she had let loose on the other teenagers.

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Clash! Passionate Fighting Spirit_ from _River City Melee_ between Izuku telling Shoto that anyone can be the winner to when they begin to move into the stadium. _Nekketsu March_ from _River City Melee_ when the students begin to come out. _End Credits_ from _Godzilla x Mechagodzilla _during Izuku's Pledge and ending at 1:43. _First Kiryu Launch_ from _Godzilla x Mechagodzilla_ from the reveal of the Obstacle Race to its beginning. Last _Straight Course_ from _River City Melee_ from the beginning of the race until the first obstacle is reached. _Fighting Theme -Strong-_ from _Ultraman Dyna_ while Izuku destroys the Zero Pointers. _Fighting Theme -Miracle-_ from _Ultraman Dyna_ as the students begin to get through the second obstacle. _Result Screen_ from _Bakugan Defenders of The Core_ when Izuku reaches the goal until the Business Course students begin to talk. _Sisters' Theme 2_ from _River City Melee_ when the Cavalry Battle is revealed.**

**Me: And that wraps things up. Another chapter in the books. I'll tell you this part was fun for me to write. So I hope you guys enjoy this.**

**Izuku left an impression on the three pro heroes! Shoto confronts Izuku in the Waiting Room! Izuku gave a rousing speech to the stadium which earns him more respect! The first obstacle course begins! Izuku, Shoto, and Katsuki are going neck to neck for 1st place! Mei makes her debut! Izuku has a huge target on his back for getting 1st place!**

**Izuku's Super Move shown.**

**Gomora Smash- One of Ultraman's most famous kaiju.**

**NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS!**

**That's all for now folks and t****hanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	9. Sports Festival Pt2

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now we are at the second part of the Sports Festival, where our broccoli boy has a huge target on him in the Calvary Battle... **

**Oh sweet mother of Jesus! I wanna show my appreciation to you guys for getting over 1000 followers for this story. I want to thank you all so much for liking this story and staying with me.**

**Milarqui: And here I am. Again. Jesus Christ, the things I've had to correct...**

**Now then let's begin!**

**Chapter 8: Sports Festival Part 2**

* * *

**"Staff Break Room"**

With their patrol time officially done for, the three Musutafu heroes had taken up Nezu's generosity and gone to the staff break room that had been made available for the Heroes patroling the grounds during the festival.

"This festival... it is more about simulating the competition they are going to face as Heroes, rather than seeing how prepared they are to be Heroes," Death Arms explained as he smoked a cigarette.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Mt. Lady asked in confusion. Granted, she knew that being the first in a competition was important, but she wondered why it led to being given a big target to hang on their back, as she had never attended U.A.

Death Arms blew out a puff of smoke, causing Mt. Lady to cough as she covered her nose and waved the smoke away.

"In a world crowded with Hero Agencies, in order to put food on the table, there are times when you have to kick down others if you want to show your strength. That's what the obstacle race was about. Especially for those who placed beyond 42nd."

"Doesn't that just pain your heart? Poor kids have to show up one another."

"You are one to talk, Yu. You did it quite gleefully in your debut, remember?" Kamui Woods fired at her, still remembering that day the previous year.

"Oi, I already said I was sorry, okay? I haven't done it anymore since then, and I even handed you the credit for that diamond villain!" Mt. Lady defensively countered, a bit ashamed at what she had done that day.

"On the other hand," Death Arms continued, ignoring his partners' squabbling, "even if you are business rivals, there are many cases where you have to work together to achieve a common goal."

"Oh, that's the reason for the Cavalry Battle!" Mt. Lady exclaimed. "If you win, your teammates also win, and then you all advance to the next round, where they become your rivals again. You have to think about personal compability, Quirk synergy and the point value each player has... it's a give-and-take situation."

"Just like coordinating with your sidekick and the joint Quirk training meetings with other agencies..." Kamui Woods muttered, nodding in agreement with his coworker.

"The kids are doing stuff now that will be their way of life after they become Pro Heroes. Because the purpose of this is to give them the experience for what they will be doing when they become Pro Heroes."

Mt. Lady sighed as she thought about what the teenagers had to go through.

"They've got it rough, those kids. And they have a long way to go yet," she said, before putting on a look of worry. "Especially Midoriya, he's going to have all that pressure on his back, because no one's going to want to team up with someone with such that ten million point target on his head. Yeah, it's kind of unfair, to be honest, but that's what U.A.'s all about, I guess. Let's hope he can advance to the next round."

"Even if he doesn't, after what he did during the race, he is going to get a load of internship offers," Death Arms said, agreeing with Mt. Lady.

"Heh, I don't think we'll have to worry about him not advancing," Kamui Woods chuckled as he looked at the screen. "Look at his expression."

The camera had zoomed in on Izuku's face, highlighting who had the ten million point target/value for first place, just to see him grinning and laughing. And then his taunt to all the other players.

"Well, he's got guts, I admit it," Kamui Woods remarked, causing the other two to chuckle as well.

"I can foresee him giving anyone that dares get too close to him a real beatdown on their ass," Death Arms replied, laughing in agreement.

"This is going to be fun to watch," Mt. Lady grinned in excitement.

* * *

After hearing the point value for the first place, Inko was left in stunned silence while Mitsuki was on the ground, laughing her pants off, with Masaru unsuccessfully trying to get her to calm down. Toshinori, on the other hand, was smiling after seeing that Izuku was showing no ounce of fear, and even more, he seemed to be excited about the idea.

'_Looks like he is up to the challenge,_' Toshinori thought, grinning as Izuku challenged the others. '_Best of luck out there, young Midoriya._'

* * *

"Team up with me!" Sato shouted.

"What? Bakugo, team up with me!" Mina begged the explosive boy. She might be crushing hard on Izuku, but ever since she heard the points that had been assigned to her favorite cinnamon roll, she had been afraid of what might happen, so she had chosen to go after the next most likely to get a good score.

"Do you not desire to team up with _moi_?" Yuga tried to ask, still recovering from his stomach pain, yet trying to act 'cool'.

All the while Katsuki stared blankly at all the students that wanted to be in his team for the Cavalry Battle.

"Wait a minute! Remind me what all of your Quirks are! Oh, yeah, and your names too!" He barked.

"What the- What kind of question is that? We're your classmates, for crying out loud! This is ridiculous!" Mina whined. She had seen it many times already in the past month, but that comment marked her maximum level of annoyance at how self-absorbed Katsuki was, because to not know even their names was absurd.

"You don't pay attention to something that basic? How can you be so self-centered?" Sato exclaimed, agreeing with the pink-haired girl's reaction about Katsuki, loud enough that it could be heard from the stands.

'_His personality is really left to be desired, but he still came in third, so he has two hundred points. Given the all-purpose use of his Quirk, he should be able to get enough people in his team,_' Toshinori thought, observing the interactions between his students.

Near him, someone else was having a very different reaction.

"YOU DAMN BRAT, HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR OTHERS!" Mitsuki shouted while Masaru was unable to calm her down.

"Izuku..." Inko whispered with worry, looking at her son standing alone in the middle of the stadium.

"Don't worry, Inko-san, he will be alright." Toshinori smiled. "Look at his face. He's not scared, he is not worried. He is so excited that he could probably fly just on that."

Inko nodded at him, thankful, as she shyly smiled while looking at her son.

"Hey, Bakugo! I was gonna ask Todoroki, but he chose his team already! So, what do you say? Let's team up!" Eijiro shouted, walking up to the crowd surrounding the Explosion Quirk boy.

"Oh, hey, shitty hair," Katsuki replied, giving an expression of 'no fucks left to give', and Eijiro looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"MY NAME IS KIRISHIMA! Damn it, at least have enough decency to remember the name of your own classmates! We teamed up back at USJ, for heaven's sake! And my hair is not even that different from yours!" Eijiro exclaimed, pointing at Katsuki's spiky hair.

"Hmph, at least mine's better than yours," Katsuki snarked, something that Eijiro chose to ignore.

"You wanna be the rider, right? Then, who will be the front horse that can take your blasts?" Eijiro asked, activating his Hardening Quirk to prove his point. Katsuki just stared at him.

"Someone with guts, I'd say," Katsuki replied, apparently bored.

"Not really, but yeah! Me with my Hardening! I will be the horse that never wavers! You want to get them too, right? Midoriya's ten million points?"

That seemed to be the magical word hearing the name of his rival.

"Listen, we all know Midoriya has a lot of raw power on his side, so we need a team that can handle that super powerful energy of his! Come on, if we team up, then we can definitely overwhelm him and his team and steal his ten million points, no problem!"

As soon as he heard that, Katsuki's face morphed into a sinister smirk, as he thought about destroying and humiliating Deku. Eijiro immediately sent a prayer for forgiveness for having to do this to his classmate, but needs must.

"Alright, you've persuaded me! Let's do it! Also, you, Pinky, and you Elbow Tape!" Katsuki said, pointing at Mina and Hanta, vaguely remembering seeing them using their Quirks before.

* * *

Meanwhile, Izuku looked around... and saw himself completely isolated from everybody else, with the ten million point headband already on. They all knew what he was capable of. They knew he was strong. They knew he belonged there. They admired him for his courage and determination to be the best... and that was why everyone really wanted to beat him. He decided to approach the nearest of his classmates.

"Umm... Ojiro, do you want to join?" Izuku asked. Ojiro had a downcast expression, looking to a side.

"Sorry, Midoriya-san! Don't take it personally, but you have way too many points, and I really want to reach the final round," The boy said, walking off to find another group.

Izuku sighed exasperated at yet another failure, but at least he could see that the teams that were being formed had a mix of Classes 1-A and 1-B, with even Agoyamato picking a team already.

'_Well, at least our classmates are going to be mixed up between the classes instead of just going with the people in their classes. Pity that everyone's avoiding me now._'

"Hehehe! Just as I thought, this is great! You stand out really well!"

Izuku turned around to the sound of the unfamiliar voice behind him, and found himself face to face with a pair of goggles that were way too close for his own good, completely invading his personal space.

"Team up with me, Ten Million!"

"SHIT! Who are you?" Izuku yelled out in shock at the speaker, who giggled as she stepped back and pulled her goggles up, now allowing him to see her chewing gum pink hair and her eyes, which had unique yellow irises with what seemed to be a cross-hair embedded in them.

"Me? I'm Hatsume Mei, from the Support Course, and the one that's going to take you to victory!" The girl said, giving out a grin that made Izuku feel as if he were in front of some kind of land shark.

"O-kay..." Izuku whispered, still in shock.

"Look, I don't know you beyond those delicious ten million points you've got, but you've got to let me use your position!" Hatsume exclaimed.

"You seem to be very blunt about your reasons for wanting to team up with me..." Izuku muttered in a deadpan mode, as she once more decided to put her face right next to his, almost nose to nose.

"Of course I do! If I didn't, then you'd have no reason to trust me! Plus, if I team up with you, then I'll inevitably become part of the team everyone's going to be watching the most, right?" she began to speak rapidly, leaving him dumbstruck.

"Uh, yeah."

"Well, then, when that happens, all of my super cute babies will be seen by all the big Support companies, and that's free publicity for me and for what I can do, do you understand that?"

Much to his relief, she chose to step back as she grabbed a box she had picked only God knew where, and showed him the contents, pulling them out one by one.

"Support Course develops the equipment that helps you Heroes use your Quirks to the max, and I have tons of babies, so I'm sure there something you are going to like! Oh, I see this one's got your eye, hmm?" she said as she picked what appeared to be a jetpack. "I made this baby based on some Hero's backpack, but I added my own original twist to it to make it work a lot better!"

"Wait, are you talking about the Buster Hero, Air Jet? I like him, too!"

"You do?"

"Yeah, his agency's close to my home, so I went on a tour a few years ago."

"Huh, nice. By the way, my Quirk is Zoom, which allows me to see things at five kilometers away or teeny tiny things while I build my babies! Useful, huh?"

"That's quite interesting!" He replied. This girl was the first he had personally met from Support Course, and he supposed that it might be interesting to know about them.

"But this is not the only baby I have hear. Any of them that you pick, you will also benefit from them!" Hatsume stated.

"Alright then, welcome to the team!" He replied, shaking her hand.

"Dekiru!"

Izuku turned to see Itsuka, Momo and Ochaco walking up to him, all of them smiling.

"Let's team up! You and the three of us!" Ochaco exclaimed, pointing at herself and the other two.

"Yeah!" Itsuka cheered.

"It's always ideal to be with people you're most familiar with," Momo nodded.

Izuku felt bad for having to say it, but he couldn't just break his word.

"I'd have loved to, but..." he trailed off.

"So... you are?" Ochaco asked Hatsume, who grinned.

"Hatsume Mei, Support Course! I just asked Dekiru – it's Dekiru, right? – if I could join his team, and when he saw my babies here he just couldn't resist!" Hatsume said, showing the girls the box with her gadgets.

"Your... babies?" Momo asked in confusion, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep! I create them, and they make me happy!" Hatsume replied.

"But... that means only two of us can be in your team," Itsuka said, putting up a sad face along with the other two.

"She's right, that means one of us will have to team up with someone else," Momo replied, as the three looked at each other.

"I'll go," Ochaco spoke up, causing the others – save for Hatsume, who was busy pulling things out of her box – to look at her.

"Are you sure, Ochaco-chan?" Itsuka asked, worried. Ochaco closed her eyes and breathed in.

"I'm sure. It's only a competition, and there will be other times where I can team up with you." Then, she opened them, and gave them a competitive grin. "And I will beat you today."

Ochaco smiled at her very much shocked friends before she waved off and left to find another team.

"Well... she is really in the spirit of the game," Momo commented, and Itsuka nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Momo, I thought I saw you talking to Shoto earlier?" Izuku asked.

"Yes, he wanted me to be on his team, but I declined," Momo replied. "While I acknowledge that he is quite strong, you are objectively the strongest student in the whole class, as Todoroki so bluntly pointed out before the race. Not only am I more familiar with your Quirk than his, you are also incredibly intelligent, and a master strategist to add. And let's not forget that you are capable of analyzing anyone's Quirk just by seeing it for the first time. So, yes, I feel 100% sure that not only it is much safer to be on the same team as you, but that this team has the best chance to pass this round."

"I feel like you might be overestimating me... but you do make valid arguments," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Itsuka shoot her head, gesturing at herself and Momo.

"We are definitely sure. Momo and I, we know how good you are, and as I said it's better to team up with people you get along with! Remember that we've been hanging out since before we started coming to U.A., so I am sure we can make this team work and win!"

"Especially with my babies!" Hatsume exclaimed, and Izuku struggled not to palm his face. Shaking his head, he gave a smile to the three girls.

"Alright, we have a team, and I think I have a good game plan. Listen carefully..."

* * *

"See there? Your son has a team already," Toshinori gestured to his successor and the girls that were now listening to him intently.

"Oh, good, I'm glad he has one," Inko sighed in relief as she saw the scene, before glancing down to inspect it further and smile. "Oh, I see Itsuka-chan is there as well! It has been a while since the last time I met her..."

"My question is, how does he have so many girls with him?" Mitsuki chuckled. "I didn't know your boy was such a chick magnet, Inko-chan."

"She does make a point," Masaru added, raising an eyebrow at the kid.

Inko made a hidden devious smirk.

"Oh, I hope he is such a magnet."

'_Because that way I will have multiple grandchildren to spoil, ufufufufufufufu,_' She laughed, the thought of her son having a 'harem' cheering her immensely, before switching back to her normal smile.

* * *

Shoto had looked with dismay as Momo joined up with Izuku: he had tried to ask her to join his team, because her Quirk's versatility would be really useful in the battle, but instead she had joined the one he wanted to defeat, something that was going to make his task of getting the ten million points headband much harder, something that had not been helped by Izuku's battlecry sending chills down most of everyone's spines.

"Aw, man, what do we do now?" Denki, who had teamed up with Shoto, asked.

"How should we pursue a fourth? Most everyone has already been picked up," Tenya, who had also joined Shoto's team, asked. He had initially thought about teaming up with Izuku, but had chosen not to: he wanted to strike off on his own, and while Izuku was a great friend, he was also very powerful, and if he kept following him he would never be able to grow as an individual. He wanted to beat Izuku, and he wanted to prove his determination to be a Hero as well.

"Excuse me?"

The three boys turned to see Ochaco sheepishly waving at them from the distance.

"Can I team up with you, Todoroki-kun?" She asked, giving a shy smile.

"Of course, Uraraka!" Denki said, smiling at her.

"I certainly would be honored that you would be in our team!" Tenya exclaimed.

Shoto, meanwhile, cupped his chin while inspecting Ochaco. He had already seen what her Zero Gravity Quirk could do, and that gave him many ideas of the advantages he could exploit from having her in his team.

"Very well. Let's team up, Uraraka-san," Shoto said, dropping his hand as Ochaco smiled.

Shoto took one look at the stands and gazed at the figure of his father, the Number Two Hero, Endeavor, standing towards the back of the stands, scowling at him. Shoto returned the scowl with a growl as he shifted his attention back to his team, who was now discussing formation.

"So, I guess you will be in charge of distracting and attacking others with your fire and ice, right?" Tenya asked. Shoto shook his head and narrowed his eyes.

"I will never use my fire in a fight."

* * *

In the midst of teams that had already rounded up, Hitoshi looked around to see if any other team needed a member.

"Hey, Shinso!"

Hitoshi turned around to see the boy from Class 1-B – Neito Monoma, if he was not mistaken – calling for him.

"I've heard you have a Brainwashing Quirk," Neito said. Hitoshi raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. So?"

"So, I was thinking that we should team up. After all, you and I have not been treated well in our lives, because people think our Quirks are villainous," Neito said. "What do you say to proving the others what we are really capable of?"

"Sure, why not," Hitoshi replied, shrugging his shoulders and accepted teaming up with him, along with Kosei and Sen.

In other circumstances, Neito would not have extended the offer, but ever since the fight against the villains at USJ, plus Midoriya's speech from earlier, he had considered that perhaps trying to establish such a bitter rivalry with Class 1-A may not have been a good idea. Now, he saw 1-A as worthy rivals, and he wanted to prove himself up to them, wanting to show that his classmates were as good as them.

* * *

A buzzer went off, shutting up all conversations going around within the stadium.

"Time's up! The fifteen minutes to gather the teams are over! Now, let's get started!" Midnight announced to the students, doing some arm stretches to prepare herself for a long event of arbitrating twelve teams of teenagers ready to fight each other.

"**Hey, hey, come on, wake up, Eraser! The second round is about to start!**" Present Mic said, shaking Aizawa so he would wake up from his nap. "**It's now fifteen minutes, and we have twelve cavalry teams lined up on the field!**"

Aizawa took a few seconds to lazily look at the teams.

"**Hmmm... there are some interesting teams out there,**" He commented

"**Now, raise those battle cries! It is time for U.A.'s bloody battle!**" Present Mic cried out.

"**Stop dragging it. I don't think there will be any bloodshed,**" Aizawa stated. Present Mic ignored him.

"**Here are the teams!**"

Each team was formed in the stage and their numbers showed on the screen, which now went over each team, from the one with the lowest value to the highest, the rider giving their name to the overall team. First from the bottom were Pony and Togaru in a two man team, going up point by point, until the list reached the top... where it was revealed that the team name was Team Kendo.

"What?" Neito exclaimed, now looking at the first place team, as did everyone else.

They had all expected Izuku, as the winner of the first event, to become a rider, but Izuku had chosen to completely shatter their expectations, becoming instead front horseman, with Momo covering the left, Hatsume to the right, and Itsuka as the rider.

Neito sighed exasperatedly.

"Change of plans, guys. We are going for plan B."

Sen and Kosei sighed with relief, praising the heavens that they were not the team's rider and would therefore not have to take on Class 1-B's Big Sister. Hitoshi was even more intrigued with Izuku's choice.

Katsuki, meanwhile, gritted his teeth: he had expected Izuku to be the rider so he could take on him, but instead he would have to deal with Itsuka.

"Goddamn, Deku! Running away again?" he growled.

"**ALL RIGHT! Every team is ready and hot to begin running! I'm not going to ask if you're ready or not!**" Present Mic yelled, the audience now on the edge of their seats as they eagerly anticipated the beginning of the Sports Festival's second round. "**Now, let's go! The countdown to the brutal bloody showdown begins!**"

"**You're dragging it again,**" Aizawa pointed out, as the countdown began from fifteen seconds.

As the clock ticked down, Izuku looked back to his teammates, confirming they were prepared. They each nodded, determination filling their faces, as Hatsume gave the last touches to the gadgets she had given to them.

"Are you still sure you don't want to be the rider?" Itsuka asked.

"One hundred percent. I'll be more useful as the front horseman, anyway," Izuku replied. "I trust in your reflexes to battle off anyone who gets too close, and I can pull off a lot of 'surprises' thanks to Superpower. Plus, there's this other reason..."

"What other reason?"

"I... would feel really uncomfortable if I were being carried by three girls," Izuku admitted. "Feels quite wrong, you understand?"

"I do," Itsuka replied, leaning down and smiling. "That's very sweet of you to think about that. It's one of the reasons why I like you so much."

Without warning, she leaned over and gave Izuku a quick kiss on his forehead, immediately standing back up with a shit-eating grin. While Izuku was left shocked, Momo, Ochaco and Mina turned to glare at Itsuka for the underhanded move in their particular war.

"**THREE!**"

Katsuki cracked his knuckles.

"We are aiming for..."

"**TWO!**"

"One thing," Shoto said, staring at Team Kendo like a predator stalking its prey.

"**ONE!**"

Izuku smirked, seeing how Katsuki and Shoto were staring at him.

"Bring it on, you two!" he shouted, feeling the thrill of battle coursing through him.

"BEGIN!" Midnight announced as she whipped the air.

* * *

All the teams immediately rushed towards Team Kendo, shouting their battle cries. All with the same goal in mind.

"Everyone's gunning for the ten millions!" Tetsutetsu shouted. "Nothing personal, Kendo, but you're now a target in this game!"

"Midoriya, I'll be taking those points, thank you very much!" Toru joyfully shouted.

The four members of Team Kendo just huffed.

"Talk about being predictable. They come here rushing over," Momo said.

"Which means there's only one thing left to do," Itsuka said, smirking.

"They want the band? Then let's make them work for it!" Izuku declared, and Team Kendo immediately turned around to begin to run away.

"Like hell! I won't let you!" Tetsutetsu shouted, and Juzo grunted in agreement as he activated his Quirk, softening the floor around Izuku expecting to trap them.

Unfortunately for him, Team Kendo proved to be much cannier. Having expected such an attack, Itsuka had already activated Hatsume's jetpack to lift herself and the team off, and Izuku was now shooting energy from his feet to go up further and create a barrier to float from. With Itsuka firmly held on Izuku's back and the girls' hands thanks to Momo creating bands for binding, Momo and Hatsume wearing special hover boots that gave them extra speed and mobility and Izuku using Superpower to boost their abilities, they managed to avert the first charges by getting away from the others.

"Wow, she used a jetpack? That's the girl from Support Course, right? After them!" Tetsutetsu shouted as his team turned to give chase. With the others starting to surround Team Kendo, they were bound to have a chance... or, at least, that was what would have happened if it were not for their great mobility and speed, which allowed them to avert everyone.

"Holy crap, how the hell are they so fast?" Tetsutetsu shouted as their target got away, only for Team Toru to get close enough to make their run for it.

"Jiro!"

"I know, on it!" Kyoka exclaimed, enlarging her ear jacks and aiming them towards Itsuka: one pulse would probably stun them long enough to get close and take the band.

Itsuka was not about to let them do that, though, and with an enlarged fist glowing with green she created a gust of wind that pushed Team Toru away and destabilized Kyoka's jacks for long enough to force her to cancel her attack.

"Damn it!" Kyoka said, sucking her teeth. "I forgot Midoriya has that energy trick that can enhance others! Kendo's strength has been boosted!"

"What do you think of my babies? Aren't they cute? Cuteness can be made, you know," Hatsume asked the others, as they run across the battlefield.

"Excellent mobility! Your babies are awesome, Hatsume!" Izuku replied, now believing in the benefits that they got from her gadgets.

"Right?" she chirped, glad to meet someone that was capable of appreciating her babies.

Meanwhile, Team Toru had yet to give up.

"We're going after them again! Come on, Jiro, time to get revenge!"

"Hey, wait, Hagakure! Where's our headband?" Sato shouted. Toru reached her hand to touch her forehead, only to notice that, indeed, their team's headband had gone missing.

"WHAT? When did that happen?"

A short distance away, Neito twirled Team Hagakure's headband on his index finger before putting it on.

"Why go after the ten million points when you can profit more from the others' distraction?" He asked, having shamelessly enjoyed stealing the points from another team. "Too easy."

"So, what's next?" Hitoshi asked from his left.

"Keep a low profile, do the same thing to the other teams. We just need to be up in the scoreboard – as long as we can reach 4th place we'll be fine."

"I like this plan!" Kosei grinned.

"**It's been only two minutes, and this has turned into a free-for-all already! Teams are fighting for their headbands all over the grounds, some already ignoring the ten million points, proving that the second to fourth places are not so bad, either! Sometimes, it is best to sneak up from behind to an unsuspecting opponent!**" Present Mic commented, the crowd thoroughly enjoying the first moments of the Cavalry Battle, particularly the students' display of their Quirks.

"**With Midoriya as the front horseman, Team Kendo is practically unstoppable,**" Aizawa pointed out, watching the scene unfold.

"This is not fighting, this is a one-sided pillage!" A strangely familiar voice shouted, and Izuku and Momo looked to the source.

Izuku blinked in confusion as he saw Shoji running towards them, seemingly all alone. Given this, and the fact that Shoji kept his multiple arms hiding something on his back, he was naturally suspicious. As he took a step forward, suddenly a loose arm came lunging for them: immediately, Izuku created an energy barrier between themselves and the arm, causing the limb to crash against it.

"That's Setsuna's Quirk!" Itsuka said, easily recognizing her classmate's Quirk.

"She's there, hiding inside of Shoji's arms!" Izuku yelled.

Setsuna's laughing face popped out from behind Shoji and she grinned at them.

"Hehe, you think you caught me, huh, Izuku?"

"Is that even allowed?" Itsuka asked aloud, enough that Midnight could hear them.

"It is!" the R-Rated Hero replied.

Setsuna hid back into the cover of Shoji's arms, and moments later her head lashed out from inside, stuck to a way too long tongue, trying to snag Itsuka's headband with her teeth. However, Itsuka dodged it with her reflexes and head and tongue kept flying, trying to go after Tetsutetsu's headband. The steel boy also dodged, and soon the head was returning to the refuge in Shoji's arms.

"Didn't expect any less from the one Izuku chose as his rider, ribbit," Tsuyu said, coming out from behind their refuge.

"A lizard and a frog? A really good combo, I'd say!" Izuku stated, knowing that the combined moves Setsuna could carry out with Tsuyu were powerful.

"Thanks, Izuku," Tsuyu replied. The frog girl proceeded to launch her tongue with Setsuna's head again at the team, while Setsuna sent multiple parts of her body hurling towards the team, expecting to overwhelm them enough to take the headband.

"Izuku-kun! We need to get away or we will be caught!" Momo warned as she kicked away one of Setsuna's feet.

"Punch it, Itsuka!" Izuku said, preparing Superpower for another lift off.

"We're blasting off again!" Itsuka warned as she activated the jetpack. The blast proved enough to blow away Setsuna's body parts, and soon Team Kendo was flying several meters above the ground, keeping most of the teams away from them and, at least temporarily, putting them into safety.

"Well, we made it out of that trap, at least," Momo said, sighing in relief.

"DEKU!" Katsuki yelled out, using his explosions to blast himself up towards Team Kendo.

"What the- Bakugo? You are seriously trying to chase us all the way up here?" Izuku asked in shock. He did expect him to chase them around, but not that he would literally leave his entire team behind just to get them all by himself.

"Don't get carried away, you nerd!" Katsuki exclaimed, preparing a flaming hot explosion and aiming it at Itsuka.

"He's going to blow us up!" Itsuka screamed.

"No, he's not," Izuku replied, and immediately he formed an energy barrier around the entire team. When Katsuki fired the explosion, it hit the barrier, which was strong enough that it was able to nullify his attack completely.

"Fucking Deku and his fucking barriers!" Katsuki yelled in frustration.

The crowd cheered at the action, eager for more fighting, as some wondered about the risky move.

"He's gotten separated from his horses!"

"What's with this guy?"

"Is that even allowed?"

Before he could begin to fall, a long gray roll of tape wrapped itself around Katsuki's shoulder and pulled him back to his team, where Eijiro immediately secured his rider.

"Nice catch, Sero!" The red-haired boy exclaimed, as Midnight pondered.

"If Bakugo had touched the ground, his team would have been disqualified, but the rules say nothing about the rider leaving the team, as long as he stays in the air above the ground. Team Bakugo is still on the running!" Midnight ruled.

"Man, why the fuck did I even do that, anyway?" Katsuki questioned himself.

* * *

With the battle turning into a full free-for-all, Team Kendo descended back to the ground. Izuku formed an energy wall below the team, allowing the three 'horses' to land gently on the ground before keeping running.

"Alright, what's next?" Izuku asked, smiling.

"**We have reached the quarter-mark of the Cavalry Battle! Let's have a look at each team's points now that we are at seven minutes and a half!**" Present Mic yelled. "**In first place, Team Kendo, who have managed to keep control over their headband even though everyone's gunning for them! In second place, Team Bakugo, fighting to maintain a lead ahead from everyone else! Next goes Team Tetsutetsu, who nearly managed to take the lead earlier and... Team Aoyama? Attention, Team Todoroki seems to have lost their position and is now trailing behind Team Aoyama! But, this is not over yet, folks! Anything can still happen!**"

"How about we keep moving, my faithful ride?" Itsuka suggested.

Before they could move, someone stopped in front of them: Team Todoroki. Izuku quickly analyzed the situation and their opponents: Tenya as the front horseman was to be expected, thanks to his ability to speed up in moments. Denki was probably there to shock anyone that got too close, Ochaco could help improve their speed by making the others lighter, and, riding between them...

Izuku smirked as he saw one of the biggest threats against him, and stared at him straight in the eyes.

"You finally got impatient, huh, Todoroki-san?"

Shoto looked coldly at the one he deemed his biggest rival.

"I'll be taking that headband of yours, if you don't mind," he declared.

"I'd like to see you try and get it, Todoroki. You'll have to fight Itsuka for it, though. Let's see what you got!"

Shoto narrowed his eyes.

"Uraraka, get ready!"

"Okay!" Ochaco said, looking apologetic at her friends as she touched her teammates.

"Iida, ready to charge!"

"On it!" The glasses-wearing teen replied as he activated his Engine Quirk.

"Kaminari, you–"

"– I already know what to do, boss!" Denki grinned as lightning began to surge around him.

Izuku realized what Todoroki had planned. He had few seconds.

"Momo, make an insulation sheet to protect us all! Everyone hold on tight, all the other teams are coming for us!" Izuku ordered, having seen that many teams, apart from Todoroki's were trying to capitalize on the sudden turn of events. Momo quickly made a large insulation sheet through her now exposed chest and Itsuka grabbed it to cover everyone, before Kaminari could let loose.

"INDISCRIMINATE SHOCK, 1.3 MILLION VOLTS!" Denki shouted, as lightning erupted from his body, striking all the teams in the surrounding area and stunning most of them. Team Kendo had managed to avert it thanks to Momo's quick action, and Team Todoroki had avoided most of the damage thanks to Ochaco's Quirk allowing them to float above the ground and Shoto's ice acting as a partial insulator.

"We can't back down now," Shoto said, his right hand producing frost again to then shoot it towards the ground, icing the floor and trapping all the teams that were arrayed around them, including Team Kendo. "Sorry, but you will just have to bear it."

"**My goodness! Have you seen this? Team Todoroki exploits a great combination of powers to trap most of their opponents in an instant!**"

"**Todoroki had Kaminari stun them with a shock before freezing them to the ground. It should be expected, since he saw that a lot of people managed to avoid it in the Obstacle Course,**" Aizawa commented, easily seeing his pupil's strategy. Present Mic gave him a thumbs up.

"**Wonderful commentary, partner!**"

Underneath the insulation sheet, Itsuka tried to turn on the jetpack to create some heat that could melt the ice, but the device did not react.

"Hatsume-san, the jetpack's unresponsive!" She exclaimed.

"Baby!" Hatsume said, worried. "Momma doesn't have time now to repair you! Sorry!"

Their feet frozen, Izuku took a deep breath and quickly started to project destructive energy around his feet, cracking the ice trapping him, Momo and Hatsume and allowing them to get out and moving.

"Looks like it didn't get them," Ochaco pointed out. Shoto sighed: he had known that Momo being on Team Kendo would prove a big threat to the others, particularly when backed up by Izuku's Help, and this was the proof.

"This is going to be a difficult battle," Tenya noted. "They won't make it easy."

"Then, we'll have to risk it," Shoto said, narrowing his eyes again. "Let's go.

Team Kendo began to back away from the rest of the teams, and spent several minutes dodging and avoiding continuous attacks while those who had been trapped either lost their headbands or got themselves free. Finally, with only five minutes remaining, Team Todoroki and Team Tetsutetsu had managed to back Team Kendo into a corner.

"Hah, finally got you!" Tetsutetsu shouted.

"It's all over for you, Midoriya," Shoto stated.

"**Oh, snap! Team Kendo has nowhere to go now! How will they escape this trap?**"

Izuku looked at them... and grinned.

"Bombs away!"

In the time spent running, Momo had kept busy making multiple objects as guided by her teammates, and now it was time to implement one of their plans: multiple smoke bombs covered the zone, concealing Team Kendo in a thick cloud of smoke that made it impossible for the others to see them. Once recovered from the shock, Shoto started to fire waves of ice into the cloud, while Ibara – Tetsutetsu's right horseman – sent her vines in so as to attempt to entangle them – but neither attack yielded results as the cloud slowly dissipated. Suddenly, an explosion took place, temporarily blinding and deafening the teams that had been trying to take on Team Kendo.

When they opened their eyes, the smoke had cleared out, but there was no Team Kendo.

"Where did they go?" Denki asked, astonished.

"Over here!"

Team Kendo was somehow on the other side of the stage.

"Hey, Tetsutetsu! Aren't you forgetting something?" Itsuka asked, grinning.

"What the hell are you talking ab–" Tetsutetsu said, but stopped himself as he realized his neck was lighter than it had been a few seconds ago. Reaching for his neck, he realized that all the headbands he had managed to take from other teams were... gone.

And in the hands of Itsuka, who promptly put the stolen headbands around her neck as her horsemen started to run once more.

"**Oh, my GOD! Team Kendo not only has managed to escape the trap, they have also nabbed nearly all of Team Tetsutetsu's headbands at the same time! How did they do it, Eraser?**"

"**If I were to conjecture, I guess that Yaoyorozu created a flashbang while covered under the cloud, threw it out in the direction of the teams attacking Team Kendo and then took advantage of it to run past them. The fact that they managed to steal the headbands is probably a bonus,**" Aizawa explained.

"DIE!"

This time, Katsuki had remained with his team as they charged at them, using Hanta's tape and Mina's acid to run at a high speed at them while Bakugo charged an explosion. Izuku quickly created another energy shield, but this time the hastily created shield was not strong enough to repel Katsuki's attack: the explosion sent Team Kendo flying into the air, with their headband (worth now 10,000,545 points) flung from Itsuka's head.

Seeing the opportunity, Katsuki ordered Hanta to catch him and launched himself into the air, firing explosions to get the headband. Closing in on it, Katsuki did not take his eyes off of it, already imagining the feeling of it around his neck.

"Looks like I win, Deku!" He shouted when he found himself close to clutching the headband.

Before he could, though, out of nowhere a black tendril appeared and snatched the headband, right when he was touching it with the tips of his fingers. Turning his eyes, he saw the tendril retract back into... Izuku's arm. Izuku passed the headband to Itsuka quickly, and the girl immediately tied it up again, but, she, along with Momo and Mei, were just as surprised as Katsuki.

Hell, the whole _stadium_ had fallen silent when they saw Izuku somehow projecting that tendril out of his arm, something that clearly had nothing to do with the green energy they had seen before.

"What the FUCK was that, you FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Katsuki shouted with rage at being denied his prize.

"**When it appeared that Team Bakugo would take the lead, a surprising move allows Team Kendo to retain their headband! What a twist!**" Present Mic shouted. "**Umpire, is that even allowed?**"

"IT IS!" Midnight declared, just as intrigued as everyone else about what came out of Izuku's arm.

Meanwhile, Izuku was gritting his teeth, using Help to relieve the pain as fast as possible while the team kept running away.

"What was that, Izu-kun?" Itsuka asked, astonished.

"Tell you later, now we have to move!"

In spite of the shock, Katsuki managed to recover in the air to concentrate on a different target. Seeing that he had been flung in the direction of a bewildered Team Tetsutetsu, he decided he had nothing to lose, so he exploded his way towards them. With their minds distracted from the sudden turn of events after losing the headbands they had stolen, Tetsutetsu was unable to react fast enough before Katsuki stole the headband tied around his forehead, taking them out of the running unless they acted soon.

"Later, losers!" Katsuki shouted as Hanta pulled him back.

Shoto did not know what to do now. All of his team's attempts to catch Team Kendo had failed. And, even when they were about to lose the one thing that ensured their lead, Izuku had managed to take it back before anyone else could pick it.

"**ONE MINUTE LEFT!**" Present Mic announced. Those teams out of the top four started to go more desperately at trying to get enough points to reach the next round of the Festival, while those in the top four fought to either keep the others away or increase their lead.

'_Excellent, young Midoriya! You are doing well! Just hold on for one more minute and you'll advance to the next round!_' Toshinori cheered in his mind, truly impressed by the depth of his successor's strategic thinking and accomplishments during the Sports Festival. And he had only used One for All once in all the Festival so far!

"Only one more minute?" Shoto asked, shocked: he had not realized time had gone so quickly! Thanks to the headbands they had taken from the teams they had trapped, they were in second place, but he desperately needed to get Team Kendo's headband! "The bastard..."

Tenya made a decision.

"Look, everyone, there is less than a minute left. I am going to do something that will leave me completely unable to walk. I am counting on you!" he said, touching the engines in his calves.

"Iida, what are you talking about?" Denki asked, worried.

Tenya got into his running stance.

"Hang on tight, everyone! Make sure you get that headband, Todoroki-kun!"

Denki looked down, and he realized that Tenya's engines were lighting up with a blue fire he was sure he had never seen coming out from them.

'_Oh, shit._'

"Torque Over... RECIPROBURST!"

With a speed nobody could have expected, Tenya launched his team towards Team Kendo. It was so quick, that Izuku did not even know what was happening, particularly since he had not been paying attention to Team Todoroki at all at the moment.

With reflexes that Shoto was sure he would not be able to replicate any time soon, he grabbed the headband on Itsuka's forehead before any of Team Kendo could figure out what was happening.

"**Wha...**" Present Mic stuttered out, as surprised as the audience due to the speed at which everything had taken place. "**What happened? So fast, SO FAST! Iida, if you could accelerate that fast, you should have shown us in the prelims!**"

"What... what in the world was that?" Shoto asked in shock.

"By forcing the torque in my engines to increase, I can cause an explosion of power that boosts my speed to well above my maximum for ten seconds," Tenya explained. "Unfortunately, the engine stalls for some time, leaving me unable to move. I was keeping it secret, as you can imagine."

Izuku turned his head, looking at Tenya in amazement.

"I told you, didn't I, Izuku-san? I told you that I would beat you," Tenya said, a confident smirk on his lips.

Much to his surprise, Izuku smirked as well, giving Tenya a look of respect and acknowledgement.

"Yes, Tenya-san, you did. I have to admit, I was not expecting such a badass move at all! However, there's one problem you didn't consider."

"And what problem would it be, Izuku-san?" Tenya asked, frowning.

Instead of answering, Izuku looked at Shoto.

"Hey, Todoroki-san! You might want to read the numbers on that headband!"

Shoto raised an eyebrow and flipped the headband over to take a closer look at it. At first, he did not understand what Izuku was getting at, but then he compared it with the one he had tied around his head and he gasped in shock. All of the headbands the participants in the Cavalry Battle had were adorned with red numbers. The one Shoto had stolen from Itsuka had blue numbers.

"Wait a minute, this is a–"

"FAKE!" Izuku finished Shoto's thought, as Itsuka showed that one of the headbands around her neck was their real headband.

"How? How and when were you able to pull this off?" Shoto asked, angry that this last resort move had failed.

"Remember the smokebombs?" Momo asked.

"Well, Izuku told Momo to make a fake headband and give it to me," Itsuka explained.

"And then she just replaced the real deal with that one, hiding the real thing under the headbands she took from iron boy!" Hatsume finished, grinning.

"You made a great effort, Tenya-san. I'm sorry to say, it was not enough."

Shoto and Tenya were left speechless.

"**OH. MY. GOD! Team Kendo comes ahead of a potential loss thanks to a convincing false headband! Something that absolutely no one even considered! Midoriya's genius mind once more under display in this round of the U.A. Sports Festival!**" Present Mic screamed.

Shoto's shock made way for fury.

'_Midoriya... you dare embarrass me? You dare make a fool out of me in front of everyone? You dare make me look like a laughing stock? IN FRONT OF MY NO-GOOD SHITTY FATHER? Don't you dare think this is over yet!_'

Almost instinctively, Shoto's left hand began to spark with fire. Flames started to get bigger on that side due to his fury. All his plans, his efforts... all dashed. Every time he had aimed at him, he had found a trap, only to find another trap behind it, and then another trap, and now yet another trap. Nothing he had tried had seemed to work, and he began to swing his left hand, flames roaring in the palm as he aimed.

"**TIME IS UP!**" Present Mic announced, disrupting Shoto's train of thought. Awakened from his wrath, his eyes widened in shock as he realized what he had been about to do, and quickly extinguished the flames, covering his left side in ice to cool himself.

"**That is the end of the Cavalry Battle!**" Present Mic announced as the crowd began to cheer, enjoying what had been a dynamic, quick and surprising second round of the Sports Festival. "**Now, let us take a look at the top four teams right away, the ones whose members will participate in the last round!**"

The giant jumbotron in the other side of the stadium lit up, displaying the rankings of the students.

"**In the first place, with more than ten million points, managing the rarity of keeping the highest scored headband for the entire time, we have none other than TEAM KENDO! Give it up for the team that got through the entire Battle even with the biggest target on their back!**"

The crowd cheered and clapped, many of them astonished that the same person had managed to win the first and second rounds.

"YEAH! I knew we would pull through! High five, everyone!" Itsuka said, and the four teenagers exchanged high fives as they hugged and congratulated each other.

"Yes! My babies were on full display to the entire world!" Hatsume yelled in ecstasy: her risky bet of teaming up with the most powerful student in the group had paid off, and she knew she was going to get a lot of attention.

Momo sighed in relief.

"I know we won, but it felt all the time like we were skating on thin ice."

"We kind of were, Todoroki was really persistent all the time, but it worked out in the end," Itsuka replied, before turning to Izuku. "But we owe our thanks to you, Izu-kun. If it hadn't been for your power and your tactics, we would not have won."

"You guys are always giving me too much credit," Izuku said, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Everyone had a hand in this, and you three helped me out a lot more than you think."

The three girls – even Hatsume – looked away, trying to hide their flustered faces.

"**Everyone had their targets set on him, and he still came out on top. It is nothing short of impressive. He'll definitely make it far when he goes Pro,**" Aizawa said, deciding he might as well commend Izuku for his feats.

"**Oh, what's this? Have you taken a liking to one of your students, Eraserhead?**" Present Mic asked with a grin plastered on his face.

"**Call it whatever you want,**" Aizawa answered with a shrug. "**I'm only stating the facts. Nothing more, nothing less.**"

In the stands, Toshinori could not help but smile at his successor, while trying to prevent Inko from once more drying herself out by bawling like a fountain.

"**Now, moving on. In second place, Team Todoroki!**"

While Shoto was displeased at this, the rest of the team looked relieved, thankful that Ochaco's running around to steal the headbands of some of the frozen up teams had worked.

"I'm so sorry, everyone! Even with my trump card, we were totally outsmarted!" Tenya apologized, giving them a deep bow.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Tenya-kun, what you did was awesome!" Ochaco complimented him while patting him on the back.

"Yeah, don't sweat it," Denki said, starting to cough all of a sudden.

Up in the stands, Endeavor was observing his youngest son surrounded by the team that had nearly taken the first place.

'_Hmph. Well, at least you got in the tournament. I must admit, the Midoriya kid is something else entirely,_' He thought before walking away into the building.

"**In third place, Team Bakugo!**"

"Ah, well. I guess third place isn't too bad. All's well that ends well, and all of that," Mina said, glad that they had, at least, advanced to the last round of the Festival.

"Yeah, you're right!" Hanta said, nodding.

"Maybe... but do you two _really_ think that's how _he_ feels?" Eijiro whispered to the other two, pointing at a shaking Katsuki kneeling on the ground.

Suddenly, Katsuki began to pound the floor in anger and frustration. Once more, Izuku had come in first place and left him humilliated.

"WHAT THE FUCK? I GOT THIRD PLACE _AGAIN_! DAMN YOU, DEKU! YOU DEVIOUS ASSHOLE! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, I'LL MAKE YOU F–"

_CLUNK!_

A large soda cup full of ice hit Katsuki in the head before he could let out even fouler words than he had already shouted.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SWEARING ALOUD IN PUBLIC, YOU DAMN BRAT!" Mitsuki shouted from the stands, shaking her fist at her son.

"GODDAMMIT, YOU OLD HAG, THAT REALLY HURT!" Katsuki howled while rubbing his head, knowing it was his mother that had thrown the cup.

"OH, IT BETTER HURT, NOW STOP BEING SO OVERDRAMATIC AND GET OVER IT!" Mitsuki shot back.

As mother and son continued to shout at each other, Toshinori felt the sweat drip down his neck.

"Is she always this... angry?" He asked Inko, now recovered from her latest crying bout.

"Don't worry about her, that's Mitsuki alright," She whispered.

"**And, in fourth place, we have Team Aoy– Huh? What, it's Team Monoma? Where did they come from, getting fourth place out of nowhere like that?**" Present Mic asked in shock.

Back in the stage, Neito was twirling the headbands he had stolen from Yuga, while he and his team looked depressed at losing in the last second and confused as to how that had happened.

"Thank you for your hard work donations!" Neito told them, walking away with a smug smirk plastered on his face.

"**There you have them, the four teams that will advance to the final round!**"

Toshinori smiled, looking down at his successor while Inko talked with Mitsuki.

'_Wonderful work, kid. You keep making me proud! Keep it up!_'

"**Now, I am sure everyone here needs to take a break, so we will pause the competition for two hours for lunch before we restart in the afternoon! See you all in a bit!**" Present Mic announced, and the public began to stand up from their seats to go get something to eat.

"Hey, Eraserhead, let's go grab some food," Present Mic said.

"Go get it yourself. I'm going to sleep," Aizawa replied, getting back into his sleeping bag and closing it.

"What the– how many naps does this man need?" The Voice Hero wondered, leaving the room.

Meanwhile, Shoto stared at Izuku as he spoke with Itsuka, Momo, Ochaco and Mina, the latter two having come up to congratulate the former three for their victory. The bi-colored teen looked at his left hand as he remembered how, for an instant, he had nearly broken his vow, all because Izuku had made him look like a fool twice already, and only the timer had stopped him.

'_I do not know if he is doing that intentionally or not, but one thing is for sure, I will NEVER use that man's powers in a battle. At least, that's what I decided. Otherwise, I'll be doing what he wants... I won't let this go on. I can't let neither him nor Midoriya tempt me into using my left side ever again._'

With that vow reaffirmed, Shoto walked away, wanting to have some food before he fought to win the last round.

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Mushamonzen_ from _River City Melee_ when Monoma recruits Hitoshi. _Gojira vs. Kiryu I_ from _Godzilla x Mechagodzilla_ between the beginning of the Cavalry Battle and Katsuki trying to jump on Izuku to steal the 10 million points headband.**

**Me: And cut. Yeah the reason it took so long**** for me to write this chapter is because of hard to find the combination for Izuku's Cavalry team.**

**Milarqui: And, yes, more things to fix up. Ugh. It takes too long to put things in order.**

**Izuku gets a full team! Everybody went all out on them! Izuku outsmarts his competition! Izuku unveils Blackwhip again! Izuku wins for the second time! The final round of the Sports Festival is approaching!**

**NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! I also will not accept guest reviews.**

**That's all for now folks and thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	10. Sports Festival Pt3

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name is Tokusatsu Universe, and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! We are at part three of the Sports Festival and this chapter will cover the First Round of the tournament.**

**Some explanation on why Katsuki is still a jerk to Izuku in the beginning despite him having a Quirk.**

**The first is that, during the ten years between discovering he had Superpower and meeting All Might, Izuku rarely showed his Quirk off, so Katsuki believed that it was weak even though every available evidence pointed otherwise.**

**The second is that, when Katsuki tried to bully him, Izuku only defended himself using martial arts, not his Quirk, so Katsuki believed he was looking down on him for not using his power.**

**The third is that, to Katsuki, Izuku was receiving praises for his Quirk he did not deserve: it wasn't until the Heroes vs Villains Battle Trial that Katsuki began to begrudgingly accept that Superpower was a powerful Quirk and that Izuku was powerful, too.**

**I hope this clears things up a bit.**

**And here with me is my reliable beta reader, who I appreciate a lot for helping me!**

**Milarqui: You're welcome, man. Let's do this 24-page long monster!**

**Let's begin!**

**Chapter 9: Sports Festival Part 3**

* * *

"Darn it, we lost. Oh, well..." Setsuna said, shrugging.

"That was... disappointing," Tsuyu replied in a neutral tone: losing didn't seem to have bothered her that much.

"Anyway, it was great teaming up with you, Tsuyu."

"Likewise."

Setsuna went up to Itsuka and patted her on the back.

"Congrats, Kendo! You made it to the finals!" She cheered her. "I hope you and the others will represent 1-B just fine!"

Itsuka smiled.

"I will. Thanks!"

"So... any further encroachment between you and Izu-kun?" Setsuna coyly asked with a smirk. Itsuka blushed, remembering the kiss she had given Izuku on his forehead.

"Quiet, I don't want anyone to hear that," Itsuka said, immediately grabbing Setsuna and taking her to the cafeteria in order to discuss it.

Meanwhile, Tsuyu went over to talk with Mina.

"Congratulations, Mina," she told her pink-skinned friend.

Mina rubbed her neck, not feeling too thrilled at the fact that she had advanced to the tournament for the wrong reasons.

"Yeah, well, thanks and all... but Bakugou just let me join in because Kirishima insisted I could use my acid against Todoroki's ice, so I don't know if that really reflects my abilities, since I barely did anything."

Mina sighed.

"IIDA! I had absolutely no idea that you had that super secret special move! It's not fair!" Ochaco whined, jogging in place as she and the others went to get something to eat.

"It has nothing to do with fairness! I just wasn't using as it was intended! I wanted to do something that could compete with Midoriya... but in the end it did not matter. He was always several steps ahead of everyone else! He truly is something else!" The Engine Quirk user stated, still trying to get over the fact that their deputy rep had managed to trick Team Todoroki into thinking they had taken the ten million point headband.

"YEAH! He was amazing! Speaking of, where is Dekiru-kun?" She asked, noticing that Izuku was nowhere in sight.

"Well, Todoroki just came up to him and asked if they could speak in private a while ago," Momo answered.

"Really? What... what would Todoroki want with Dekiru-kun?" Ochaco asked, hoping nothing bad had happened between them.

Momo placed her finger on her chin, as she began to think about it.

"Honestly... I have no clue about it."

* * *

_Faculty and Student Entrance_

"So... what did you want to talk about?" Izuku asked Shoto. The two were currently in an empty tunnel leading to the stadium, standing across from one another, Izuku looking with curiosity at the dual Quirk user. "Because, if we don't hurry, the cafeteria will more than likely be really crowded..."

Silence reigned.

"Look, if you have nothing to say, then I am leaving," He said, starting to move from where he was.

"I was overpowered?"

"Huh?" Izuku mumbled, confused about his classmate's confession, the first thing he had spoken since he had brought him there.

"So much so... that I broke my pledge," Shoto stated, shame clear and evident in his voice.

'_He didn't use half of his power at all, even when it would have been to his advantage. And, now that I think about it... I've never seen him use his left side at all. Why?_' Izuku wondered; there had to be some reason why Shoto never used his flames.

Shoto lifted his left hand.

"Iida, Kaminari, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Kendo, Hatsume... none of them felt it. At that instant, I was the only one who was overpowered. I almost used my flames, the one thing I swore I would never use. Time was running out, I was angry at how you tricked us, and I was about to rush towards your team. But then, I felt that power... radiating off of you. The same kind of power All Might radiates," Shoto continued to speak, staring at his left hand.

Izuku narrowed his eyes.

"And? What's your point, Todoroki? What are you trying to say?"

"What I am trying to say is that I felt something similar coming from you... _too_ similar."

'_Oh, crap,_' Izuku thought, his heart starting to beat faster as a bead of sweat ran down his face, trying to will himself not to react too strongly. '_He's starting to connect the dots! Has he figured out about One for All?_'

"Midoriya, are you..."

Izuku swallowed hard, mentally preparing himself for trying to come up with an answer that would distract Shoto from the truth.

"... All Might's secret love child or something?"

Izuku's tension left him entirely, feeling as if something was completely wrong with the universe.

"Secret... love child?" Izuku asked, unsure if he had heard him correctly. When Shoto nodded, Izuku suddenly remembered what Shoto had said earlier in the morning, while they were in the waiting room.

'_That's what he was thinking about!_'

Izuku could not help it: he began to laugh out loud at how ridiculous the situation was.

Shoto did not share Izuku's humor, though, and grew annoyed at his laughter.

"What is so funny? Answer the question. Well? Are you?"

Izuku managed to take a deep breath and held hid mirth off.

"Sorry, Todoroki, but that's not it. The answer is no. All Might isn't my dad! Like, come on, we look nothing alike! My real father divorced my mom years ago, because he was hardly around. Last I heard he was living in New York. Though... why would you think that about me? Or why suggest that at all?"

Shoto closed his eyes.

"I see... you too, huh?"

"What do you mean, you too?"

Shoto looked back at Izuku.

"You said _That's not it. _That means there is some kind of connection between All Might and you... one that you can't talk about, right?"

Izuku felt like palming his face as he realized he had messed up. Shoto was so quiet and not much of a talker, it was easy to forget how perceptive and smart he was.

Shoto, however, decided he was fine with letting Izuku keep his secret. It was not a matter of importance to him, and he needed to get to the real reason he had asked to talk in private with his classmate.

"My old man... is Endeavor. I am sure you know that he has been stuck as the Number Two Hero for years, since All Might has been the first from even before him. If you have something from the Number One Hero, then... then I have even more of a reason to beat you."

Izuku turned serious as he heard Shoto, who rose his eyes to stare deep into Izuku's own eyes.

"My old man... he has a strong desire to rise in the world. He won a name for himself as a Hero thanks to his crushing force, but it was never enough to beat All Might. He is a great eyesore to him. And, since he couldn't surpass our teacher... he moved onto his next plan."

"Wait a minute, _next plan_? What are you talking about, Todoroki? What are you trying to tell me?"

"You have heard of Quirk Marriages, right?"

"Yes, I have. How is that relevant to this?"

"That thing became a problem for the second and third generations after Quirks appeared. Choosing a spouse based only on strengthening your own Quirk and passing it onto your children... forcing people into marriage... the old-fashioned way of thinking, brought back by a complete lack of ethics. My old man has accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got a hold of my mother's Quirk. My siblings and I..."

Izuku flinched as he realized what was going on through Shoto's mind.

"I see... you and your siblings were the result of a Quirk marriage – born solely for the purpose of surpassing All Might, because your own father could not do it. And he has chosen you to be the one to do it."

Shoto nodded and scowled.

"It's so annoying... I will not become the tool of scum like that. In my memories... my mother is always crying."

Izuku remembered how his mother cried when she was heartbroken when they thought he was Quirkless. It was not until Superpower had shown and that she had divorced his father that she had resolved to become more confident. Shoto brought his hand over to the left side of his face, touching the red scar covering his eye.

"Do you want to know how I got this?"

Izuku silently nodded, knowing that, whatever the reason, it was not good.

"_Your left sight is unsightly, and should be cleansed right now._ That is what my mother said when she poured boiling water on my face when I was six," He said, depressed. The attack had certainly scarred him, both physically and emotionally.

Izuku was left horrified, unable to believe that Shoto's own mother would say something so ugly to him at such a young age.

"That... that's horrible," He simply said, unable to come up with anything better to describe such an event. No mother should ever do or say anything like that to their child, no matter what – particularly since Shoto had not even known why it had happened.

"Basically, I am going after you because I want to show him what I can do, without using his Quirk. No... I will reject him completely by winning first place just with my Ice Quirk!" Shoto vowed, and Izuku could feel the cold, dark hatred in the other boy's eyes. Shoto sighed, now done, and began to walk away. "I don't care if you can't tell me what is your connection to All Might. No matter what you are to him, I will rise above you with just my right side. I apologize for wasting your time, but I had to get that point across. I'll see you in the finals... you better prepare yourself."

Shoto had only taken a few steps away when Izuku talked.

"Hold it."

Shoto stopped walking and turned around, looking at his rival directly in the eye. The coldness and hatred had not left him, but Izuku's eyes shone with the flames of confidence in himself and his abilities.

"All my life... I have been supported by others. I am here because of the people who have supported me. I want to be like him, like the Greatest Hero, All Might, saving people with a smile. I want to embody everything he stands for! But, in order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become the Number One Hero, the Symbol of Peace. That is my dream, and I will fight for it until the day I die. Our motivations could not be any more different, but, if you honestly think that the story of your life is enough to make me lose and renounce to my victory for you, you are sadly mistaken. In fact, it actually motivates me more, it pushes me forward. I have to live up to the hopes of those who supported me. That declaration of war you gave me in the waiting room earlier... I'll return that. I will face and defeat everyone I meet with everything I have, including yourself, Todoroki! And I will win the Sports Festival to show the world that I Am Here! That is a promise, believe that!"

Shoto looked at Izuku for a moment before nodding at him, then he walked away, leaving Izuku standing alone... or so he thought.

"Everything that has been said here stays between the three of us. I expect you to keep Shoto's personal information to yourself. I'll see you in a little bit... Bakugou."

Katsuki flinched at the fact that he had been caught. He had been curious about what Half-n-half wanted with Deku, so he had followed them, for once doing as little noise as possible. What he had heard had shocked him a lot: not only did the son of Endeavor not consider him the main threat to his plans, he had just discovered that the Number Two Hero had gone way too far to fulfill his dream of taking All Might's place.

'_If this were a comic book, he'd probably be the main character, what with that kind of backstory. Compared to mine... what could I say?_' Katsuki thought, wondering how his former friend had heard him. He walked away, deciding that perhaps an answer may be found in a good bowl of food.

Izuku waited for a few moments and then walked for the cafeteria, intent on having a good lunch. After the two first events, he had grown quite the appetite, and he really needed to make sure that he had enough fuel to be at full strength for the entire tournament, so Superpower would have enough to get him through the fights.

* * *

"**Hey, long time no see! Let's have some tea, Endeavor!**" All Might said, smiling, greeting the man who currently held the Number Two Hero position and who was currently walking down the stairs, presumably to head to the cafeteria.

"All Might..." Endeavor stated, in a dismissive tone as he looked over his shoulder.

"**It has been, what, ten years since you and I had that talk with the press?**" All Might continued, deciding to ignore his fellow hero's reluctance to speak with anyone. "**I saw you, so I thought I could greet you and speak.**"

Endeavor just scowled.

"I see. Well, you have done what you wanted. So, leave me be. I'm only heading to the restroom."

All Might was not going to have any of it, and chose to make a jump to stand in front of him.

"**Don't be so cold! You must be proud of your son, he performed admirably while using only half of his power.**"

Endeavor narrowed his eyes.

"**The question is, was he taught well?**" All Might asked.

"What are you trying to say?" Endeavor asked back.

"**Call it a wish to know how to raise the next generation. I am a teacher here, and I thought I could learn from someone that knows the tricks.**"

Endeavor scoffed.

"Like I'd tell you anything. You are as naïve as usual, and it is really annoying me." Endeavor shoulder checked All Might and continued on his way, before he stopped for a moment and smirked, again looking over his shoulder. "But, know this – I will make him a hero that will surpass you one day. That's why I created him. He is in his rebellious stage, but he will surpass you. And I'll make sure it happens!"

Endeavor left the corridor, with a shocked and saddened All Might remaining there, thinking about what he had just learned.

'_**Oh, Endeavor... I knew you disliked me, but to go that far? Have you ever loved your family, or are they just a tool for you to use in this rivalry you claim you have against me? Either way, the Todoroki household isn't as good as I thought it would be... and I cannot do anything about it. If something is to change, the first move must come from them,**_' All Might thought, finally moving and going into a nearby empty classroom, so he could transform back into his non-hero form to return to his guests, all of them in the cafeteria.

"I am sorry about that, I had to make an urgent call," Toshinori apologized as he took his seat next to Inko.

"It's no problem, we finally managed to make our damn orders after waiting for so fucking long." Mitsuki sighed. "Damn this crowd, it's going to take ages..."

"I will say, I was impressed with what happened in the first two events," Inko said, wanting to distract her friend. "And my Izuku has clearly been giving it his all."

"Don't forget about my son, Inko-chan, he's been going damn hard in the festival too," Mitsuki countered, grinning.

Meanwhile, the two men looked bemused at the women, as they went back and forth over whose son was better.

* * *

_1 Hour Later_

"**And WE'RE BACK! Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the last event! But, before that happens, there's good news for all of you who did not make it here!**" Present Mic announced, as the stadium began to get filled once again, ready for the last event to happen. "**This is not just a Sports Festival! So, we have prepared multiple recreational games in which everyone can participate! And... we have also brought real cheerleaders from America to liven things up!**"

Before Present Mic could continue, though, silence started to spread across the stadium as they all noticed...

"Huh?" Present Mic mumbled, unable to believe his eyes.

"What are those girls doing?" Aizawa asked, having just come out of his sleeping bag.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Vlad shouted from the stands.

The center of attention had suddenly turned out to be the thirteen girls from Classes 1-A and 1-B, all of them dressed in orange U.A. cheerleader uniforms, which really showed off their... assets.

"**1-A, 1-B, what's the matter? What kind of fanservice is this?**" Present Mic cried out, surprised, as the majority of the males ogled (some of them guiltily, since they were teenagers, after all) the curvaceous figures the cheerleading uniforms didn't fail to display.

As all the girls started to turn red, Kosei and Denki gave each other a thumbs up, a perverted grin on their faces. Having met during the USJ attack, they had become fast friends as a result of their common interests, and this had been part of it: the two of them had gone to their female classmates and convinced them that they had to wear the uniforms for a cheering battle between the classes, all because they wanted to see the girls wearing the sexy outfits.

"KAMINARI!" Momo yelled, furiously, as the veins on her forehead turned purple.

"TSUBURABA!" Itsuka yelled as angry as her fellow hero in training.

"Ugh, why did I let Denki catch me into his scheme?" Momo bemoaned, falling to her knees. "I even used Creation to make the outfits..."

Ochaco and Itsuka chose to pat their friend's back, trying to comfort her.

"Hey, lighten up, Momo-san! It ain't all bad," Ochaco said.

"Yeah, these uniforms are doing something good, at least," Itsuka said, pointing at Izuku. Momo took a quick glance at the boy she liked, and saw her favorite green-haired energy user blushing hard and completely failing in trying not to get caught looking at the girls. Itsuka smiled inwardly, feeling quite content at the fact that Izuku was getting so flustered from seeing her (and the others) like this.

"Well... I suppose that it is a good consolation prize," Momo admitted, standing back again.

"To think that we would be tricked to wear something so... sinful," Ibara wept, using her vines to cover herself. "I must pray to the heavens for forgiveness!"

"Relax, Ibara-chan, it isn't that bad," Setsuna told her classmate, chuckling. "It does bring out our best physical assets for sure!"

"These are so dumb!" Jiro yelled, throwing her pom poms to the floor in frustration. She should have known better.

"I'm so embarrassed right now!" Kinoko squeaked, hiding herself behind Reiko.

"Well, there is still a little time left before the last event begins, and it would be a pain if things got tense. Let's do it anyway!" Toru exclaimed in excitement, clearly getting into the moment and the uniform.

"What?" Kyoka and Kinoko asked, stupefied.

"Toru, you really like this, huh?" Tsuyu asked, knowing the answer.

"Hey, it's not like most of us have anything else to do," Setsuna intervened with a grin. "Plus, we can still show off with this! C'mon girls, lemme hear those cheers!"

"Yay," Yui said, minimally shaking her pom poms, her expression unchanging.

"**All right, everyone! A good cheer for our students, and have fun competing in the recreational games! When that's over, the sixteen students still running will duke it out tournament style, one-on-one!**" Present Mic announced.

"So, the last round is a tournament, huh? I'm going to stand on the stage I watch every year on TV!" Kirishima said, pumping his fists.

"Was it a tournament last year?" Mina asked, still wearing her cheerleader uniform.

"Nah, it's always a one-on-one competition, but they change it every year. I think last year it was a series of chambara matches," Sero replied.

"Now, let's prepare to draw lots to determine the bracket!" Midnight said, bringing in a yellow box labeled 'Tournament Lots'. "Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start! The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation, because I am sure some of you will want to rest or save your strength. Now, from the first place team–"

"Er, excuse me," Kosei called out, raising his hand. "I am withdrawing."

Everyone gasped.

"Why are you doing this, Tsuburaba?" Neito asked with a shocked look.

"This is a rare chance for the Pros to notice your manliness!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed from the group of those who had not passed, just as shocked that his classmate wanted to quit.

"Why would you just quit, after making it so far?" Itsuka asked.

"Look, everyone else is really strong, and I would get beaten the moment I am up there. I may be confident in my abilities, but not so much that I think I can compete in this level, at least right now," Kosei said, slumping and looking down.

Izuku walked up towards Kosei and placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing he was in distress.

"Look, Tsuburaba-san, if that's your decision, then I respect it completely. Keep working, and I am sure you will be much stronger the next time you come up here!"

Everyone's gazes turned from Kosei to Izuku: no one had expected him to support the decision to drop out, and in fact had honestly thought he would encourage him not to quit and show what he could really do in the tournament.

"Thank you for understanding, Midoriya-san," Kosei said, nodding at him. "I really appreciate it!"

"If it isn't much of a problem, I would also like to withdraw, for the same reason as Kosei," Sen told Midnight, also feeling that he could not compare to the other competitors' level.

"Seriously, you too, Kaibara-san?" Neito asked, unable to believe that two of his Cavalry team members were withdrawing just because they felt overwhelmed by the remaining competition.

"What's with these guys?" Eijiro asked.

"**This is an unusual turn of events... we'll have to see what the chief umpire, Midnight, has to say about this...**" Present Mic said, awaiting the R-Rated Hero's decision.

"Youthful talk like that is something... that really turns me on! Kaibara, Tsuburaba! I accept your withdrawal!" Midnight said with a lecherous grin. The other participants struggled not to palm their faces.

"Did she just say this turns her on? Did she decide based on her preference?" Izuku wondered, his face slightly twisted.

"Hmmm... in that case, we will have to move up two people from the Cavalry Battle team that came up fifth..." Midnight hummed. "Team Tetsutetsu! Choose two of your own to join the tournament!"

Neito looked at his classmates.

"Are you two sure about this? Throwing away your opportunity to be scouted by the Pros?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, Monoma-san," Kosei said, grinning. "It's not like there won't be a chance to train with someone, and there's always next year for me to prove ourselves stronger."

"It just makes more sense to give it to someone who is much stronger than us right now," Sen stated. Tetsutetsu felt touched by his classmates' words, and proved this by running to them and hugging them both.

"Y-you guys!" He cried out, thanking them for giving the team his chance. After a short deliberation, Juzo and Yosetsu told Tetsutetsu and Ibara to take the place, seeing that the two had done the most work during the Cavalry Battle, being the ones that had ensured they would get to fifth place at the last minute.

"And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make sixteen! Now, you will draw number lots randomly to decide who faces who in the first round of the tournament. In this box are sixteen balls, numbered 1 through 16. The people will be paired up based on who gets each ball: 1 versus 2, 3 versus 4 and so on. So, without wasting any more time, let's decide on the brackets! Team Kendo, come up first and draw your numbers!" Midnight announced.

"After you, ladies," Izuku said, smiling, as he gestured them to pick their numbers before him.

"How sweet of you," Momo said with a smile.

"Thank you, Izu-kun, but don't think I'll be going easy on you if we ever fight," Itsuka smirked.

"I hope I get to test more of my babies on you," Mei said.

The girls walked up to the yellow box and picked a ball.

"I got number 9," Momo said.

"Number 11 for me," Itsuka showed.

"My babies and me got number 13!" Mei exclaimed.

Izuku then walked up to the yellow box and stuck his hand in it. Shuffling the balls for a couple of seconds, he grabbed one of them randomly and pulled it out of the box. Looking at it, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Wow, well, I got number 1! I guess that means I won't have to wait too long to fight, then!" Izuku said, smiling as he gave the ball back to Midnight, who recorded the draw.

"You lucky bastard! I wanted number 1! You better hope I don't draw number 2!" Katsuki yelled in anger, because he too wanted to be in the first match.

"The rest of you, come up and draw your numbers!" Midnight said, and the remaining competitors came up in order to pick their position.

"Dammit, I got fucking number 5! You are damn lucky this time, Deku!" Katsuki yelled. Another ice-filled cup promptly hit him on the head, courtesy of Mitsuki and her amazing accuracy once more.

"Number 16 for me!" Eijiro exclaimed.

"I am number 14!" Mina said, smirking at Mei.

"I got 8," Hanta said.

"15," Shoto said in a monotone, and Eijiro started to feel nervous at the fact that he was going to fight one of his class' powerhouses.

"Wow, I got 12," Denki said. Itsuka shrugged.

"Number 4. This means I will be participating in the second match," Tenya said.

"I GOT 7?" Ochaco asked in shock, and Hanta sighed in relief.

"I have number 6, like I had hoped for," Neito stated, glaring at Katsuki, who scowled in return as he rubbed his head.

"I have number 3," Hitoshi said, looking at Tenya.

"YEAH! I got number 2!" Tetsutetsu yelled.

"My prayers have led me to number 10," Ibara stated.

"Alright! Now that everybody has drawn their numbers, let's take a look at the official results!" Midnight announced, pointing her whip to the jumbotron.

_1st Match: Midoriya Izuku vs Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu_

_2nd Match: Shinso Hitoshi vs Iida Tenya_

_3rd Match: Bakugou Katsuki vs Monoma Neito_

_4th Match: Uraraka Ochaco vs Sero Hanta_

_5th Match: Yaoyorozu Momo vs Shiozaki Ibara_

_6th Match: Kendo Itsuka vs Kaminari Denki_

_7th Match: Hatsume Mei vs Ashido Mina_

_8th Match: Todoroki Shoto vs Kirishima Eijiro_

Izuku took a look at the jumbotron, and checked his first opponent and then who he would be fighting next if he won. He looked at Tenya, who looked back. If the two won their matches, they would be facing each other.

"Hey, Midoriya!" Tetsutetsu called out to him. "I look forward to our match!"

"Me too!" Izuku replied with a grin.

All that was left now for them was to wait for the beginning of their combat.

* * *

"Okay... it's pretty much done," Cementoss said, as he used his Quirk to remodel the stadium grounds to act as the fighting stage.

"**Thank you for your swift work, Cementoss! Hey, everyone! Are you ready to rumble?**" Present Mic asked the crowd, who answered with a loud cheer, showing their anticipation for the tournament to finally begin. The recreational games were finally over, and now it was time to get to the real fun.

"**A lot has happened today, but now it has come to this! A serious battle where you can only depend on yourself! Here, you have no teammates or comrades! It's a classic one-on-one tournament! Even if you are not Heroes yet, you will face lots of situations like this! You get that, right? Heart, skill, body, wisdom and knowledge! Use all of that to RUSH UP!**" Present Mic exclaimed, hyping up the crowd even more.

Izuku was already waiting in the tunnel assigned to him, leading to the stage. He was doing warm up stretches, doing his best to prepare himself mentally: it was his first ever match in a Sports Festival, so he could not help but be nervous about it. Overall, though, he was ready to compete.

"Hey!"

Izuku turned around to see Toshinori, in his normal form, walking towards him with a grin on his face.

"Sorry for being late, but I want to check up on you and your progress with One for All."

"I'd say pretty good," Izuku replied, grinning as green sparks and energy appeared around his hands. "I've been training to withstand 100% and Blackwhip for two weeks, and I think I have it under control."

"Good," Toshinori said, transforming into All Might and giving him a thumbs up. "**You've made it this far, young Midoriya. Now, go out there and stand proud! Don't forget that I've got high hopes for you!**"

Izuku smiled confidently and bowed.

"Thank you, Toshinori-sensei. I promise I won't let you down! I am going to win this whole thing! Just you wait!"

"**That's the spirit, kid! Now, go show them what you are made of!**"

The four corners of the fighting arena were lit in flames: preparations were finally finished, and everything was prepared for the beginning of the first match.

"**AUDIENCE! The tournament that you have been waiting for is finally starting! And here is Match Number One! On one side, we have the Tokusatsu Powerhouse, the one that keeps giving us surprises, the one that has finished in the first place in the first two events! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Midoriya Izuku!**" Present Mic announced, and as Izuku made his entrance the crowd started to cheer even louder: he had easily become a favorite for the entire stadium, and everyone was expecting even bigger things from him. Also, nearly all of his classmates were cheering on him from their box.

"**And, on the other side, manliness and passion! Real steel in human form! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!**"

This time, the cheers, while still loud, were not as intense as the ones Izuku had received, although it was not from lack of enthusiasm from Tetsutetsu's classmates in 1-B.

"All Right!" he roared up in the air, closed fists over his head.

"Here are the rules!" Midnight said, stepping on her umpire box. "In order to win, you must either force the opponent out of bounds, immobilize them, force them into submission or anything that demonstrates they are unable to continue! Bring in the injuries, I want this to be entertaining! And don't worry, we have Recovery Girl on standby to patch up any students! Put your morals and ethics aside for a moment! Of course, anything life-threatening is strictly prohibited – Heroes must seek to bring in living Villains, after all!"

"I will be here, ready to stop the fight if things go too far," Cementoss stated, making himself a chair on the opposite side to Midnight.

Izuku took a deep breath and moved into a martial arts stance: his left foot planted firm in front of him, right foot's heel raised slightly, left hand high and right hand low. From where he was, he could see Tetsutetsu doing the same.

"**ARE YOU READY?**" Present Mic called out. Both competitors nodded, narrowing their stares at each other.

"BEGIN!" Midnight exclaimed, announcing the official start of the match with a lash of her whip.

Immediately, Izuku and Tetsutetsu charged at each other, the former's right arm glowing green while the latter's was hardened in steel. When their fists connected, a shockwave shook the ground, and soon the cheering began to rise as the two fighters constantly traded blows at each other, using their Quirks for maximum effort.

Tetsutetsu managed to put Izuku on the defensive, forcing him to create a barrier to slow down the other's attacks while trying to find an opening. The steel-hardened arms pummeled the barrier as their owner tried to push his rival off the edge of the stage. Realizing what was happening, Izuku dropped the barrier, leaving himself open for attacks but also giving him a chance to counter.

Tetsutetsu swang with his left arm, but Izuku quickly ducked down and countered with a knee to the stomach. A metal BANG! sounded out as Tetsutetsu was sent flying back away from Izuku.

The green-haired boy immediately went on the offensive, running forward and making a barrage of strikes against Tetsutetsu, who put his arms up in order to guard and tank Izuku's blows. The moment he noticed the attack speed was slowing down, Tetsutetsu broke free and countered with a punch: however, Izuku easily saw it coming and tilted his head aside: the punch just grazed his cheek. The move left Tetsutetsu overextended, and Izuku took advantage of it by grabbing the attacking arm.

With a turn, Izuku threw Tetsutetsu over his shoulder, sending him to the other side of the arena. Tetsutetsu bounced on the floor once before rolling and laying on his stomach. The crowd watched to see if Tetsutetsu would be able to continue or not... until Tetsutetsu bent his arms and slowly got up, mustering his strength while clenching his stomach, and the crowd cheered.

Seeing that Tetsutetsu was still trying to fight on, Izuku's respect for the steel boy grew, deciding to bring out a finishing move. Green lightning and energy formed on his right arm as Izuku ran up to the standing Tetsutetsu, whose eyes widened in shock as Izuku threw his arm at him.

"**Mechagodzilla Smash!**"

The supercharged punch landed, hitting Tetsutetsu so hard that it sent him across the arena, causing a great gust of wind that caused nearly everybody to cover themselves before they looked to see Tetsutetsu in a crater against the wall, bruises showing and his face bleeding, and Izuku still standing where he had been, his right arm smoking but no damage at all.

"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu is out of bounds!" Midnight announced, raising her hand. "Midoriya Izuku advances to the next round!"

The crowd began to cheer, agreeing to the fact that the fight, while short, had been spectacular.

"**There you have it! The first person to advance to the quarterfinals is none other than the Tokusatsu Powerhouse, Midoriya Izuku!**" Present Mic announced as the jumbotron showed Izuku's name moving up in the bracket while Tetsutetsu's was crossed out. As Tetsutetsu was carefully placed on a stretcher and taken to the infirmary, Izuku left the arena, greeting everyone.

In their box, Inko, Mitsuki and Masaru were clapping and smiling, as Toshinori grinned proudly.

"Nice job, kid! That is how you show your potential!" The Number One Hero said.

From their place, Izuku's classmates were also cheering.

"That was awesome, Dekiru-kun!" Ochaco cheered.

"Yeah, Midori-kun!" Mina chirped.

"That was really impressive," Momo said, smiling.

"You show them, Izu-kun!" Itsuka yelled.

Setsuna, meanwhile, was grinning as she went over Izuku using yet another Kaiju super-move.

"I expected no less from our deputy rep!" Tenya said, glad to see Izuku advancing. That meant he could probably have a chance to fight him. He would have to win against Hitoshi first, though.

"Of course he won! I would have killed him if he lost right there! We still haven't fought yet, so he is not allowed to lose unless it is me!" Katsuki yelled, a smirk on his face as he looked towards Todoroki, who was now intently observing Izuku after seeing his display of power.

'_So, you noticed it too, Half-n-half? I certainly do, because I can tell you are still holding back and not at full power, Deku!_'

Outside the stadium, Mount Lady was cupping her chin as she observed the fight replay, amazed at Izuku's strength and skill.

"Hey, Yu, stop watching and let's get back to our patrols!" Kamui Woods yelled.

"**Yahoo! O-kay, that was a nice first match, and at least I was not expecting any of that! So, praise them both for a bravely fought match. Clap your hands!**" Present Mic exclaimed, and the crowd cheered once more, ready for the next match.

* * *

After going to Recovery Girl and Toshinori to check up and see if any injury was on his arm after using One for All, but turned out no damage on him. Izuku had made his way up to the bleachers until he heard a high pitched voice call out.

"Oh, Dekiru-kun!"

He saw Ochaco, Mina and Momo waving towards him as they pointed towards a seat between them.

"We saved a seat for you!"

"Thanks!" Izuku said as he sat down in between them.

He then turned his attention towards the fighting stage.

"So it's Iida's turn right?"

"Yeah, he's facing Shinso-san," Momo said as they were all now waiting for the match to begin.

"I think Iida-san is going to win this. We all know what Shinso's quirk does." Mina said.

'_It seems I will be facing whoever wins this match in the quarterfinals! I better pay attention so that I could prepare for either Iida or Shinso._' Izuku mentally said as he looks to the next match.

Then, the flames ignited in all four corners of the ring signaling that it was time for the next match to start.

* * *

"**For our second match, on the first side, formerly of the General Studies Course but now proven in battle, the one who can ensure your brain is clean! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Shinso Hitoshi!**" Present Mic announced, and Hitoshi received much cheer from the crowd, especially from his former classmates in General Studies. "**And, in front of him, the speedster knight, the epitome of the middle of the pack! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Iida Tenya!**"

Tenya just looked up at the commentator's box, offended at the unfair description he had made of him. It was time for the match to begin, though, so he stood in place and got ready.

"BEGIN!" Midnight said, announcing the start of the second match.

Immediately, Tenya fired up his engines and sped towards Hitoshi: knowing what he knew about the latter's Quirk, he knew that he could not even give him the chance to speak, lest he reflexively answer and send his plans to the rubbish bin. Quickly yet carefully, he grabbed Hitoshi by the shoulders and quickly pushed him out of the stage, before the purple-haired boy could do anything.

"Shinso Hitoshi is out of bounds! Iida Tenya advances to the next round!"

"**Well, that was a quick match! But there is still more to come, people!**" Present Mic exclaimed, the crowd hungry for more matches to come.

As Hitoshi stood up, though, he began to hear something he had not expected.

"That was so cool, Shinso!"

"Great job!"

"I was really surprised!"

"You will always be a General Studies student!"

"You lost quickly, but you are still a freaking amazing dude! Props!"

All of Hitoshi's former classmates were congratulating him, even though he had lost before he could act: the fact that he had even made it this far had made them proud of him. He gave them a smile and a wave before making it to the corridor.

'_So, I'm facing Iida in the quarterfinals! I can't wait!_' Izuku thought, grinning.

* * *

For the third time, the fires ignited in the corners of the ring, as the competitors for the third place in the quarterfinals entered.

"**Now, the third match of the first round! These are our participants! On one side, he was not that famous in middle school, and that's not the face of a regular person, but that of someone who loves to blow stuffs enter the ring! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Bakugou Katsuki!**"

"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY ABOUT MY FACE!" Katsuki yelled out in anger, offended, but Present Mic ignored him.

"**And, on the other side, the boy who is deceiving, conniving and copying your powers! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Monoma Neito!**"

Neito checked his pocket watch was working well while he waved, a calm smile on his face as he then glared at Katsuki.

"You are the one that copies Quirks, right, faker?" Katsuki said.

"Hmph. I will defeat you using your own explosions," Neito sneered, to which Katsuki glared back: out of all the 1-A students, Neito disliked Katsuki the most, because of his arrogance and his bad attitude.

"AND... BEGIN!" Midnight announced.

"DIE!" Katsuki shouted as he charged straight for Neito. However, the Class 1-B student just side-stepped the telegraphed attack and dodged, using his hand to slap Katsuki's away from him.

"That's all you got? I was hoping for more," Neito mocked him.

"Why you-"

But, before he could finish that sentence, Katsuki was met with an explosion, identical to the ones he could make with some sweat, right to the face.

"How ironic that you are hurt by your own Quirk! I guess my Quirk is superior to yours," Neito said as Katsuki stumbled back from the force of the explosion. After regaining his posture, Katsuki sucked his teeth in irritation.

"FUCK YOU, YOU BASTARD!" He screamed, launching another violent explosion, right on Neito's face, forming a cloud of smoke.

"Seriously, I expected better..."

Katsuki's eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell! How come he's not dead yet! I made sure to put extra power into that last blast!"

Then, the smoke cleared – and there was no trace of Neito to be found.

"The fuck did he go?"

As he turned around to look, Katsuki met another explosion to the face, pushing him back a few meters and forcing him to take a knee: Neito had put extra power into his own blast as well.

"And you got into the tournament? This is hardly a challenge! I am definitely going to make it to the quarterfinals!" Neito stated, grinning at Katsuki, who was covering his eyes as he recovered from the flash, but the copycat was not done yet with his verbal assault. "I guess I will have to find someone that can give me a better challenge. Maybe I'll get a chance to fight Midoriya before I reach the finals! After that student pledge from earlier, I guess I respect him more than you. I'm pretty sure he will be able to give me a much better fight than you ever could. Just stating the facts."

Katsuki gritted his teeth, now beyond irate as he stood up.

"I am really... going to kill you..." He calmly stated, the fury clear on his face. Neito had certainly gotten under his skin: the fact that he stated Deku was better than him and would provide a greater challenge had been the straw that broke the camel's back. With a roar, Katsuki hurled himself towards Neito at full speed, intending to blow him apart. Neito smirked before counter-charging, planning to finish the match with this last blow.

The two fighters charged up their explosions as they closed in on each other. Then, they unleashed their attack, making a flashing light that then formed an even larger smoke cloud.

"**WOAH! What just happened?**" Present Mic yelled, as the crowd desperately waited for the smoke to clear, in order to see the result of the attack.

When the smoke cleared, they saw Katsuki, standing with his right arm smoking yet uninjured, while Neito's right arm had clearly suffered from the double explosion.

"Well played, Bakugou," Neito said, grimacing. "It seems I have misjudged you..."

And then Neito fell to the ground, unconscious.

Midnight whipped the air.

"Monoma Neito is unconscious! Bakugou Katsuki advances to the next round!"

Katsuki looked at his rival of the moment being carried away, before he scowled with disdain.

"Tch. Don't ever think that Deku's better than me, ya hear!"

Katsuki turned around and left as the audience was left silent for a moment.

"**Wow, that was a big blast!**" Present Mic said, trying to draw attention from the brutality of the fight. "**We still have more to come here, everyone, just you wait!**"

Izuku had a serious look as he stared at his former friend leaving, then looked around to see that his neighbors were nowhere in sight in the bleachers.

'_They must have left to prepare for their matches while I was focused on my notebook,_' He thought, checking the jumbotron as he noticed something. '_Wait, if Ochaco wins her match, then the opponent she'll be facing in the quarterfinals is..._'

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt something touch him. Looking to his side, he found Mina feeling up his arm's muscles.

"What... are you doing... Ashido-san?" Izuku asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"What do you think? I've wanted to feel your body for weeks, and I got the chance right now, _Midori-kun._" Mina replied, smiling, snuggling up to him, much to his dismay.

* * *

For the fourth time, the fires ignited, and two more students stepped up as competitors in the arena.

"**To this side, the girl that can tell gravity to go cry on the corner, and to be honest, the one I'm rooting for! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Ochaco Uraraka! And facing her, a guy that's good! He's good, but what's with that plainness he just can't get rid of? Also from Class 1-A, Hero Course, Hanta Sero!**"

"Oy! That's too mean!" Hanta complained.

"**Wow, way to show how biased you are,**" Aizawa said, but Present Mic ignored him.

"May we have a good match, Sero-san, but I'm going to win this!" Ochaco grinned as she got into stance.

"BEGIN!" Midnight shouted.

As soon as the match began, Hanta launched his tape to grab hold of Ochaco's right arm, planning to throw her out of the arena. However, his plan ran into a problem, namely that Ochaco had been prepared for such a move, and after spending some time around Itsuka and Izuku, she had learned a few martial arts from both of them.

Grabbing the tape, Ochaco charged towards Hanta, who launched the tape from his other elbow at Ochaco. She dodged in time, though, and soon turned the tables by touching him on the arm and making him light weight. Then, she spun around, using the tape Hanta had thrown at her to use him like an Olympic Hammer as the boy struggled to regain some control, until the tape snapped, releasing him yet launching him out of the arena, hitting the walls as she released the anti-gravity hold on him.

"Sero Hanta is out of bounds! Uraraka Ochaco advances to the next round!"

Ochaco walked up to Hanta and offered her hand.

"Are you okay? That was a good fight, Sero-san," She said, smiling. Hanta accepted her hand and smiled back.

"I guess I underestimated you, Uraraka-san. That was a very good move there!"

"SO YOUTHFUL!" Midnight cried out in delight as the spectators clapped at the show of good sportsmanship. The two soon left to rejoin their classmates at the bleachers, while the grounds were prepared for the next fight.

* * *

"**This is now the fifth match, and for the first time today, it is going to be two young ladies duking it out!**" Present Mic announced as the crowd raged on.

"**On one side, the All-Purpose Creator! Admitted through recommendation, so her skills are certified! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Momo Yaoyorozu!**"

The yells were getting louder, and from Class 1-A's bleachers her friends cheered on her as she tried to keep a serious look.

"**On the other side, the girl who proves that having a green thumb can be a cool and thorny power! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Ibara Shiozaki!**"

"Come on, Shiozaki-san! Represent 1-B!" Setsuna shouted from the bleachers as Ibara clamped her hands together, staring at Momo.

"BEGIN!"

Immediately, Momo created a sword and shield, using the latter to block Ibara's vines as they launched at her. Plant and metal clashed several times, somehow creating sparks every time they did. The strength of the strikes was such that Momo was slowly being pushed backwards, drawing closer to the boundary line.

Suddenly, Momo, instead of tanking the attack, chose to dodge to the left and sliced off the vines that had been attacking her, immediately rushing into an offensive charge. As the Class 1-A representative closed in, Ibara panicked and threw her best defensive move between herself and Momo.

"Faith's Shield!"

A thick wall of vines sprouted out quickly, but Momo's sword was capable of slicing through most of the vines. Only another vine was capable of preventing Momo from closing in.

However, Momo was not done. Stabbing the ground with her sword to stop herself, she put her hand under her uniform and pulled out a grenade, throwing it into the air, towards Ibara, while she closed her eyes. Ibara attempted to cover herself from the blast, but the explosion went off before she could properly cover her eyes, temporarily blinding and deafening her: it was one of the flashbangs left over from the Cavalry battle.

With Ibara stunned, it took little effort for Momo to get close and push the Christian girl out of bounds.

"Shiozaki Ibara is out of bounds! Yaoyorozu Momo advances to the next round!"

"**Wow, that was ending things off with a BANG!**" Present Mic joked. "**And there is still three more matches to go!**"

* * *

"**For our next match, we have, on one side, the martial artist described as her class' Big Sister! From Class 1-B, Hero Course, Kendo Itsuka! And, on the other side, the sparkling killing boy, the human battery! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Kaminari Denki!**"

"Go, Kendo-san!" Tetsutetsu shouted from the booth, finally recovered from the injures he had suffered in his fight.

"Yeah, beat him!" Setsuna screamed.

"When this is over, I'll comfort you, 'cause this match'll probably be over in a second!" Denki declared as he charged up his attack.

"In your dreams, Sparky!" Itsuka replied, smirking: she had wanted to take a little revenge on him and his partner in crime, and here he was, serving her the option on a silver platter.

"BEGIN!"

"Indiscriminate Discharge, 1.3 Megavolts!" Denki shouted, discharging his most powerful attack in such a way that it covered the entire arena. Unfortunately for him, Itsuka had managed to jump quite high to avoid getting electrocuted, and now Denki was left in his stunned state, saying inane things while lifting both thumbs. Seeing that victory was in hand, Itsuka took the opportunity and enlarged her fist, grabbing the boy and throwing him out.

"I take it back, Sparky. The match was over in a second!"

"Kaminari Denki is out of bounds! Kendou Itsuka advances to the next round!"

"**Aaand it looks like it was decided in an instant! I'll say it once more, an instant!**" Present Mic shouted in excitement. "**Kendo manages to avoid getting shocked by Kaminari and pushes him out of bounds while he was stunned!**"

"Awesome job, Kendo-san!" Setsuna yelled.

"Hah! Take that, Aizawa! My students are not to be underestimated here!" Vlad crowed, pointing a finger at the commenters' box.

"**Your behaviour is illogical and pointless,**" Aizawa said, yawning. "**Just get the next match going already.**"

* * *

"**And, for the seventh match, we have another girl versus girl fight!**" Present Mic said as the announcement as the next match was about to begin. "**To one side, a girl fully equipped with support items she has made herself! From Class 1-H, Support Course, Hatsume Mei! And in front of her, the pink girl with two horns, a big smile and all-eating acid! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Ashido Mina!**"

Mina chuckled.

"My first match will be a piece of cake!" She crowed.

"So, she's going to go up against a Support Course student," Kyoka mused.

"I wonder what kind of fight this is going to be," Tsuyu questioned.

"Who knows," Sato said.

"BEGIN!"

Immediately, Mina started to fill her hands with acid and threw it in front of her, allowing her to skate on a straight path towards Mei.

"Well, this is to be expected! Your acid helps your movements along!" Mei said as Mina closed in on her. Before Mina got too close, though, Mei jumped up and two long poles sprung out from one of her gadgets. "And I can easily evade you with my hydraulic attachments!"

Mei grinned, looking around at the crowd, until she found the specific group of people she wanted to show off to.

'_There they are, the support companies' representatives are watching... oh, they are biting their nails now! I got'em!_' Mei thought, observing two of the men in suits talking and pointing towards her.

Mina turns around and started to chase after Mei, but she moved out of the way, letting the other girl pass by her.

"Since I've got sensors pointing in every direction, I can deal with attacks coming in from any direction!"

Mina stumbled around as she tried to hit her enemy, only for Mei to avoid her again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mina yelled.

"What is she doing?" Present Mic wondered, feeling the sweat drop down his back.

"She... is quite good at hard-selling," Aizawa commented, feeling the awkwardness in the air as well.

Mei averted the next attack, but Mina regained her balance quickly, charging at the pink-haired mechanic with an annoyed expression.

"When are you going to start fighting?"

Suddenly, Mei jumped over Mina, and looked almost like she was floating in the air.

"What do you think of this lightness? These electro-shoes use electromagnetic induction on both feet, allowing for instant evasive action!"

Mina sucked her teeth in as she turned around.

'_I'll get her when she lands!_' She told herself, following the other girl's path. However, when Mei landed, she brought out a gun that shot out a red-colored net that tied Mina up.

"Wh-What is this?"

"It is a capture gun to use against Villains! The capture nets are in cartridges, and you can fire up to five before reloading! Who developed all of these items? It was me, Hatsume Mei! Everyone from the support companies, the choice is clear – Hatsume Mei, Hatsume Mei, Hatsume Mei!" She yelled out, her true motivation behind her behavior becoming quite evident.

"Is she a politician or something like that?" One of the representatives asked, being unsure about the peculiar way the girl was trying to get their attention.

"And now, I will talk about the next support item!"

"Wait, there's still _more_?"

Mina used her acid to break free from the net and glared at Mei.

"That was uncalled for!" She screamed, charging at Mei again, while the Support Course student kept a grin on her face.

Ten minutes later, Mina was on the floor, panting. Mei had kept pulling out one support item after another, keeping the pink-skinned girl off balance every time she tried to attack Mei. The inventor was seemingly out of items, but it did not seem like it.

"So, I have shown you each and every one of the items I wanted to present. I have nothing left to say and do, so thank you, and remember, Hatsume Mei for all your Support needs!"

And then Mei walked out of the arena, shocking everyone.

"Uh..." Midnight said, confused. "H-Hatsume Mei is out of bounds. Ashido Mina advances to the next round!"

"YOU USED ME!" Mina yelled out in frustration from the ground. Mei looked back at her as she started walking towards the tunnel.

"Sorry I used you," she shameless replied.

"I HATE YOU!" Mina shouted back.

Izuku chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Man, Mina-chan sure didn't like to be a guinea pig. I should have known this was Mei's plan from the start. Then again, who could have expected that she didn't want to win the Festival? All she wanted was to get the attention of the big support companies, and she definitely did just that! Mei will do anything to reach her goal, and I suppose I could admire her for that..." He mumbled, scribbling in his notebook.

* * *

'_So, Midoriya is advancing to the next round, huh?_' Shoto thought. It was probably still going to be a while until his match began, so he had decided to take a leisure walk around the corridors.

But then, he turned a corner and saw, waiting for him, the one person he did not want to see.

"You are on my way, old man," Shoto coldly stated.

Endeavor merely glanced over at Shoto for a second before replying.

"You are acting disgracefully, Shoto."

Shoto snorted, not even stopping as he tried to get past the man.

"Had you used the power in your left side, you would have had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and the cavalry battle."

Shoto ignored the rant as he continued walking. His match would probably happen soon.

"Stop this childish rebellion already. You have a duty to surpass All Might!"

Shoto clenched his teeth, his anger towards him growing cold.

"Do you understand? You're different from your siblings! You are my greatest masterpiece!"

Shoto's temper snapped, and he kept walking, but this time he chose to reply.

"Is that all you have to say, you damn bastard? I will reach the final, and I will win, using only Mom's power. I will never use your power when I fight!"

Endeavor sighed as he watched his youngest son walk away.

"Even if it works for now, you'll soon reach the limits of that power."

* * *

"**OKAY! So, after that whole... marketing scheme fiasco, let's try to get back on track, shall we? We'll start the last match of the first round with... these guys!**" Present Mic announced as the last two competitors entered the arena. "**He took second place in the first two events, but damn if the kid isn't overpowered! He was recommended for admission for a good reason! From Class 1-A, Hero Course, Todoroki Shoto! And, on the other side, manliness and passion! Red hair and hardening against every force! Also from Class 1-A, Hero Course, Kirishima Eijiro!**"

"Man, even my intro is the same as Tetsutetsu's," Eijiro commented, staring at Shoto. "That means I won't go down easily!"

"BEGIN!"

As soon as Midnight announced the start of the match, Eijiro began to rush towards Shoto, hardening himself with his Quirk and hoping he would be able to reach him before it was too late. Unfortunately, he had failed to notice Shoto's face and the anger burning in his eyes, and before he even knew it, his vision was filled with ice.

Outside the stadium, the patrol units could only gawk in shock at the glacier that had suddenly appeared, somehow, from within the stadium, looming over everything.

Within the stadium, the audience was silent in shock and awe as they witnessed how fast Shoto had created such a large glacier. The strength he had just shown exceeded most of the Pro Heroes' abilities.

"K-K-Kirishima, c-can you m-move?" Midnight asked, her right side covered in ice as she trembled from the cold.

"Does it look like I can?" Eijiro yelled from the glacier, most of his body immobilized by the ice.

"Kirishima Eij-jiro is im-mobilized! T-Todoroki Shoto ad-vances to the n-next round!" Midnight announced. Most of the audience began to cheer on Eijiro, telling him that it did not matter, but that did not make him feel any better as Shoto walked over to him.

"Sorry for that," Shoto said, apologizing, as he put a hand on the ice and began to thaw it out, somewhat embarrassed. "I was... angry."

* * *

When the glacier was finally put away and Eijiro taken to the infirmary, in case his brief dip into ice had caused any problems, Midnight took middle stage once again.

"The first round is done! Now, the remaining competitors will be matched up following the same pattern as the previous one, as you can see in the screen!" the R-Rated Hero said, the jumbotron displaying the next matches.

_1st Match: Midoriya Izuku vs Iida Tenya_

Izuku looked at Tenya, who looked back at him: both had serious expressions in their faces, and they knew their fight would not be easy.

_2nd Match: Bakugou Katsuki vs Uraraka Ochaco_

Ochaco wiggled her fingers together, anxious, while Katsuki just snorted.

_3rd Match: Yaoyorozu Momo vs Kendou Itsuka_

Momo and Itsuka shared confident smiles, while knowing that their own fight was going to be interesting.

_4th Match: Ashido Mina vs Todoroki Shoto_

Mina looked really nervous at the fact that she would be fighting Shoto, who just stared at the screen with no emotion whatsoever.

With the next matches set, everybody watching was excited for what may have been the best Sports Festival in a long time, and they were dying to see who would win and take it all!

* * *

**Soundtracks: _Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle - Haruo's Anguish_ played when Shoto tells Izuku his trauma and scar. _River City Melee - Nekketsu! Boogie Woogie_ played when the female students of class 1A and 1B were tricked into wearing cheerleader outfits by Denki and Kosei. _Skullgirls_ – _NMO Arena_ played during Izuku vs Tetsutetsu match. _River City Melee_ – _Passionate Fight_ during Katsuki vs Neito match. _River City Melee - Combat Match_ played during Itsuka vs Denki ****match.**

* * *

**Me: And that wraps things up and the next chapter will be the penultimate part of Sport Festivals arc. The last part of it will be epic and intense!**

**Milarqui: Man, this was long and had a lot of things to work out! Let's hope everyone else likes this!**

**Shoto tells Izuku his pasts and reasons! 1-A and 1-B girls getting tricked into wearing cheerleader uniforms! Kosei and Sen withdraw from the tournament! The matches are spectacular! **

**Izuku's Super Moves shown-**

*** Mechagodzilla Smash: Godzilla's robotic doppelganger created by either aliens or humans.**

**NO FLAMES, RANTS, NEGATIVE COMMENTS! B****ut if it's criticism I can take it.**** I also will not accept guest reviews.**

**Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, have a nice holiday and new years, buh bye!**


	11. Sports Festival Pt4

**Me: ****Hello everybody, my name Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Now ****we are at part four of the Sports Festival arc and this chapter will**** cover the Quarter Final round.**

**Here with me again is my beta-reader ****Milarqui ****making sure things are in the right place here!**

**Milarqui: Yes, lots of things needed to be organized in order to make for a good chapter. You and I need to have a few words re: certain things, man!**

**Alright let's begin!**

**Chapter 10: Sports Festival Part 4**

* * *

Back from behind his desk, Omocha continued to watch the UA Sports Festival, enjoying the young men and women as they proved their worth, particularly that of young Izuku, who had reached the next round of the tournament.

'_Even though Midoriya-shonen didn't sign the contract, he is still helping our business,_' he thought, looking out of the window to see the employees under his charge: all of them were being overwhelmed by the sheer number of calls from stores all over the country, all of them wanting more Tokusatsu merchandise: between the stand they had managed to get at the Festival, the TV advert they had shown in the intermission between the obstacle race and the cavalry battle and the fact that Izuku kept making Toku-based moves, they were being rapidly sold out everywhere.

Nodding and giving a small smile, Omocha turned back to the television as the next round began, hoping to see the young man win.

* * *

"**ALL RIGHT! Now that we have all of the brackets settled, let's move on to the quarterfinals!**"

The crowd cheered in delight at Present Mic's words, and Izuku stood up.

"Well, that's my cue," he said, rolling his shoulders. "I'll see you guys after the fight!"

"Good luck!" Mina, Momo and Ochaco simultaneously said, and Izuku went down to the passage that led to the ring.

"**Let's begin! Competitors, step forth!**" Present Mic said, and as the four corners of the ring were ignited in fire, Izuku and Tenya entered the ring, ready for a fight. "**This time, we have on one side the fan favorite, the Tokusatsu Powerhouse! Midoriya Izuku! And, on the other side, the blue-haired speedster, Iida Tenya!**"

As they looked at each other, Tenya hardened his stare before bowing respectfully at Izuku.

"I hope we will have a great match, Midoriya-san. However, I will beat you here!"

Izuku bowed back, answering to the other boy's stare with a confident smile.

"Likewise, Iida-san. But if I were you, I wouldn't be confident about the end result of this fight. But, yes, let's do this!"

Izuku and Tenya got into their stances, ready for Midnight to give the call that would begin the first match of the quarterfinals. This time, Izuku chose to use a different martial arts stance than the one from the previous match: left hand forward and low, right hand to the rear, left heel risen.

"Ready... BEGIN!" Midnight shouted, letting the boys know they could start.

Immediately, Tenya activated his Engine Quirk and accelerated towards Izuku: knowing that the best chance laid in a quick victory, he chose to use the same strategy that had worked on Shinsou in his previous match – grab his rival by the shoulder and push him out of bounds.

Unfortunately for him, Izuku was more than prepared to deal with such an attack and quickly leapt out of the way.

"That's not going to work on me!" Izuku shouted, waiting for Tenya's reaction. The blue-haired boy turned around and tried to rush Izuku again, but he avoided the attack again. Deciding it was his turn to do something, Izuku created several energy balls that began to float around him. Tenya raised an eyebrow at the unknown move, and Izuku motioned his arms forward.

"**Ambassador Magma Meteor!**"

The energy balls quickly flew towards Tenya and attempted to hit him. However, Tenya proved himself a worthy member of the Iida family by using his superior speed to dodge all the incoming energy attacks. Seeing that this attack was having no effect at all, Izuku decided to stop it, making the remaining balls vanish in the air. When Tenya saw it, he stopped, deciding to give his Engine Quirk some rest.

'_I have to find a way around Midoriya-san's attacks and push him out of bounds! If he lands a hit on me, I'm done for,_' Tenya thought, keeping an eye on Izuku in case he came up with some powerful attack. Much to his surprise, Izuku closed his eyes for a moment, before smiling and opening them again.

"I can tell that you have been training hard these past couple of weeks for the Festival. Or maybe it was just for me?"

"I see that you noticed," Tenya replied, narrowing his eyes. "As I said before, I was going to challenge and defeat you, didn't I, Midoriya. Are you ready?"

As Tenya's Engines fired again, Izuku started to glow green, small particles of energy surrounding him

"You better believe I am, Iida! Show me what you're made of!" he challenged his friend and rival. Iida got into stance.

"Let's go!"

The two competitors then dashed towards each other, so fast that people could only see the streaks of color they left behind as they clashed against each other over and over.

"**Woah, would you look at that? They're going so fast that it's almost impossible to see them!**" Present Mic screamed, and everyone else watching agreed about how impressive the fight had just become.

_Woosh!_ went the air as Izuku tried to land a punch on Tenya, only for the latter to lean his head back, letting the fist fly a few centimeters away from his face.

_Foosh!_ sounded out as Tenya fired his engines to kick Izuku, but he ducked, letting the heel brush over his hair.

And so they went on for a minute, so fast that they were managing to raise a dust cloud that made it hard to discern what was going on. When it finally cleared, it was to show Tenya turning to the spot he had expected Izuku to be...

… but he was not there.

"Where did Midoriya go!" Tenya yelled out, trying to locate Izuku and knowing that losing sight of him was a terrible mistake.

A whistle called his attention to the middle of the ring, and when he turned he was Izuku staring at him: as soon as he did, Izuku crossed his arms and started to spin around, turning very fast around himself as energy began to form around his body.

Tenya was as astonished as the audience, but unlike the latter, he could not afford staying in place.

'_I don't know what he is up to... but I need to finish this now, before he finishes his move!_'

Seeing the potential opening, he activated his special move for the second time in the day.

"RECIPRO BURST!" Tenya called out as blue flames fired from his calves, and he began to run towards Izuku, jumping high into the air.

"**Wow, what a jump!**" Present Mic commentated as Tenya descended towards the block of energy concealing Izuku.

'_It's all or nothing! Five seconds before my engines stall!_'

Aiming his kick at where he thought Izuku was, Tenya struck with all the power in his legs, disbanding the energy cover – but, much to Tenya's shock, he flew through it as it vanished, showing that Izuku was nowhere to be seen.

All of a sudden, the scattered energy latched onto Tenya, forming energy rings ensnaring him in place and preventing him from moving from where he was.

"What is this?" Tenya exclaimed, surprised, as his best move failed and he was left defenseless: trying to break free, he felt his strength leaving him while he struggled.

Izuku dropped from the barrier he had placed beneath his feet and grinned at Tenya, trapped in his Help energy rings.

"It's the trap I've been working since I realized that you were too quick to just hit with one of my normal attacks. I knew you would try and rush at me the moment I left an opening you could take advantage of, so I deliberately stayed up in the middle of the ring and created the energy barrier so you couldn't see where I was. The moment you ran, I jumped up, and transformed the energy into those capture rings. Once more, you have fallen right into my trap, Iida-san!"

'_Again? I played right into his hands again!_'

"**WHAT A CLEVER PLAN, LISTENERS!**"

"**He is certainly very dangerous when he uses his mind...**" Aizawa said, amazed at how he had chosen guile rather than brute force, the way he did at USJ the previous month.

"Come on, why does he keep getting more dangerous!" Denki yelled as the other Hero Course students, both 1-A and 1-B, were struck at their fellow hero-in-training's cunning.

"And now... time to end this!" Izuku said, energy and lightning starting to appear around him. Tenya looked dumbstruck as Izuku sprinted forward before leaping into the air, ironically similar to what Tenya had done earlier, but this time the attacker would not fail.

"**Rodan Smash!**"

Izuku kicked Tenya straight in the chest, so hard that it knocked the wind out of him while he was sent flying straight out of the ring, where the energy holding him vanished and dropped him to the floor.

"Iida Tenya is out of bounds!" Midnight said, raising her whip. "Midoriya Izuku advances to the semi-finals!"

The crowd cheered loudly at the spectacular fight that had just taken place, while Izuku jogged over to check on Tenya's state.

"You okay, Tenya-kun?" he asked, worried: while he had used some energy to ensure that the strike would not be centered on his friend's chest, he was still unsure if he hadn't caused any grave injuries.

Fortunately, save for the pain caused by the kick, it seemed like Tenya was fine, because he stood up on his own and then offered his hand at Izuku.

"Thank you for worrying, Midoriya. I am well. Quite the great plan you came up with back there," Tenya replied with a smile, and Izuku shook his hand.

"**YEAH! Midoriya is the first competitor to reach the semi-finals! Now, let's move onto the next match, and we'll find out who joins him!**"

The crowd cheered, anticipating what would happen in the next matches.

* * *

"You completely outclassed me, Midoriya!" Tenya said, chopping the air with his arms as they walked down the halls that led to the waiting rooms. "I thought I had a chance to win, but it seems as though you will always be several steps ahead of everyone else!"

Izuku chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't sell yourself short, Tenya-san. You did great out there, and you almost caught me several times. Just keep training hard, and I know you will become a great Hero, just like your brother."

"Thank you, Midoriya! I won't let this keep me down!" Tenya replied, nodding. As they reached the waiting room Tenya had been in before the match, he halted. "Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to give my brother a quick call – I will meet you and the others in a while."

"Sure, no problem. Take your time, we'll see you in a while," Izuku replied, continuing to walk while Tenya went into the waiting room. Picking his phone, he found his brother's contact and called him. When the tone ended, Tenya spoke up.

"Hello, Tensei? It's me, Tenya-"

"Sorry, but I am currently on a mission and cannot answer the phone. Leave a message if you need to talk to me," Tensei's voicemail played, and Tenya decided to hang up, staring blankly into the air.

"Tensei... I hope you are alright..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Tenya, just as he left the waiting room, the Pro Hero Ingenium was locked in a desperate battle against the Hero Killer.

* * *

In the other waiting room, Ochaco was now waiting, anxiously, for Present Mic to call on her. She certainly was nothing like her usual bubbly self.

"I'm going against Bakugo..." she muttered.

She knew that Bakugo was very strong, and the match would not be easy, but she knew she had a chance and she had to take it. Someone knocked on the door, interrupting her musings, and she stood up as the door opened.

"Hey," Izuku said, popping into the room.

"Huh? Dekiru-kun? Why are you here?" Ochaco replied, approaching the boy she had a crush on.

"Well, your match is next, and given who you are fighting... also, I can tell that you are nervous, what with your eyebrows wrinkling," Izuku pointed out.

"Man, it must be really bad if my nerves reached up to my brows," she replied, taking a deep breath to relax.

"Can't blame you. Bakugo is not going to go easy on you," he said. "So, I decided to come here, see if you wanted some help, or just someone to talk with."

"Yeah... I'm really scared right now," she admitted. "Thanks, Dekiru-kun, I appreciate your offer, but...

"But?"

She took another deep breath before lacing her fingers with each other.

"Don't get me wrong. You are an amazing person... spectacular, even. Every day that passes, particularly today, I keep seeing more amazing sides to you. During the Cavalry Battle, I thought it'd be easier to team up with friends..."

Izuku stared at her, slightly surprised, as she continued to talk.

"But, now that I think about it, maybe I was trying to rely on you. When Iida-san said he wanted to challenge you, I realized that teaming up with Todoroki-san instead of you was good. I want to stand up on my own as a hero, instead of leaning on someone else."

Izuku nodded, understanding what his friend-slash-crush said.

"That's why it's fine now," she said. "Everyone's facing the future and trying their absolute hardest: even if we are all friends at class or when school is out, right now we are all rivals. So..."

Ochaco took the door and made to go through, before giving Izuku a thumbs up along with a confident smile, that managed to hide a good part of her nerves.

"Let's meet in the semi-finals!"

* * *

"**This is the second match of the quarter-finals, and now come our participants!**"

"This is going to be a disturbing one," Tsuyu said.

"I almost don't want to watch..." Kyoka replied, shuddering as she voiced what pretty much all of her classmates were thinking.

Down at the ring, Ochaco and Katsuki had already entered. Katsuki looked dead on at her while his expression remained stuck showing his feelings. Ochaco, however, did not allow herself to falter against his intense gaze, locking her eyes on his. Katsuki took a deep breath, preparing himself while considering Ochaco's Quirk, trying to figure out strengths and weaknesses from what he had seen in the Battle Trial.

Back at the bleachers, Izuku tightened his fits.

'_You can defeat him, Ochaco-chan!_'

"**This time, we have the Explosion boy, Bakugo Katsuki, versus the Infinity girl, Uraraka Ochaco!**"

"Wanna withdraw, Round Face? You'd better do it now, because if you don't you won't get off with just a little 'ouch'," Katsuki stated, continuing to stare at her with eyes that betrayed the fury he felt, one goal in his mind: getting into the semi-finals and beating Deku. When he did, that would hurtle him forward as the true number one, no matter what fancy light shows his former friend might make. And he was certain he wouldn't be stopped by his current opponent.

Ochaco just gritted her teeth and glared at the boy in front of her: she had reached this far on the strength of her body, her mind and her Quirk, and she was not going to back down now.

At the bleachers, Momo leaned towards Izuku.

"Do you know what strategy is Ochaco going to use against Bakugo?" the girl asked.

"Bakugo is strong. The more the match lasts, the more he sweats, which makes his Explosion Quirk stronger, and he can use his blasts to move around in the air and attack from a distance. But if it becomes a close quarter combat, Ochaco-chan has a good chance at winning – if she manages to use her Quirk on him to make him float, she would have the upper hand. So, if I had to guess... the first thing Ochaco-chan will do is..."

"Brat! If you lose, I'm going to be teasing the hell out of you for the next week!" Mitsuki was heard shouting from the bleachers. Katsuki twitched in annoyance at his mother's antics as Midnight got ready.

"Ready... BEGIN!" the R-Rated Hero announced.

Immediately, Ochaco rushed forward, quickly reducing the distance separating both of them: her speed had grown by leaps and bounds thanks to all the training she had undergone since she joined U.A., and it showed.

"... a swift attack," Izuku confirmed as Ochaco stretched out her right hand, clearly planning to tackle her rival.

"Withdrawing is not a choice!" she yelled out. '_I just need to touch him, then I can win!_'

"As I expected. If she manages to touch him, then Bakugo will be left floating and Ochaco will have a chance to ring him out," Izuku said, glad to see that Ochaco was not going to back down any time soon.

"Do you think Bakugo-san will even let Ochaco-san get that close to him?" Tenya asked.

"Probably. It depends on what he plans to do, but he'll probably want to counterattack instead of evading."

Katsuki scoffed at Ochaco's charge. As far as he cared, she had chosen to fight, and he was going to show her the mistake she had made.

"Then, die!" he said, bringing up his right arm. Ochaco saw it, knew it was his usual opening move and kept running, getting ready to duck.

'_Almost... almost... almost..._' she thought, trying to time her dodge to get under his arm. '_There!_'

Unfortunately, she ducked a second too late and failed to take into account the explosive blast he had prepared: the girl was sent reeling back from the force of the explosion.

'_She wasn't fast enough,_' Izuku thought, frowning. All of 1-A winced at the blow.

"He blasted her like she was nothing," Hitoshi said.

"C'mon, Uraraka, you can't lose against that jerk!" Setsuna shouted from her seat, drawing an annoyed look from Neito.

"Even though you are fighting a girl, he still has no mercy," Tsuyu stated, knowing, like her classmates, how ruthless Katsuki Bakugo truly was.

The explosion, meanwhile, had created a smoke cloud that blocked the line of sight between the two fighters, allowing Ochaco to stand up without being attacked.

'_This is no good. I knew what move he was going to make, and yet I still couldn't react in time,_' she thought, coming up with a plan to take advantage of the smoke.

At the other side of the ring, Katsuki got into his stance while narrowing his eyes: the cloud from his explosion was preventing him from giving the coup de grace to the girl, and it also kept him on his toes, as she could now attack from anywhere.

"I'll make short work of you, Round Face!" he called out, hoping to get her to make a dumb mistake.

"Don't underestimate me, Bakugo!"

Katsuki heard movement behind him and he turned on a dime, smacking down the first thing he saw moving towards him in the smoke with another violent explosion.

However, he soon realized something was wrong: the girl had not screamed in pain, and the sound of the blast striking flesh was similarly missing. The smoke cleared off enough, and he was in shock to see that all he had struck was a P. E. uniform.

That was the moment Ochaco chose to rush out of the smoke from behind Katsuki: the cloud had allowed her to make him think she was elsewhere, and she had thrown the top half of her uniform as a distraction while she went the other way. She considered herself lucky that she was wearing a black tank top under the uniform.

"**OH! She made her jacket float and sent it over there! And did it in an instant, too!**"

'_This is my chance!_'

Before she could get close enough to touch him, though, Katsuki turned around and blasted her again, this time with an explosion that was more powerful than the first. Ochaco felt pain spiking through her body as she was blown back. The explosion had hurt a lot... but she was still in the game. She was still standing on her feet, and she wasn't going to give up easily!

"Shit, he moved _that_ fast after he saw her?" Hanta commented, unable to believe how quick Bakugo had reacted and counterattacked.

"With that kind of reaction time, it won't matter if there's a smokescreen. With her unable to use her Quirk unless she touches him, she's at a clear disadvantage – and he's not holding anything back, either," Eijiro noted, knowing that the matchup was quite slanted against the girl.

One thing that she was not was hesitating, and Ochaco proved it by charging forward again, trying to catch him off guard.

"TOO SLOW, ROUND FACE!"

This time, the explosion went off right in front of her face, making the entire crowd cringe at the pain the girl had to be suffering: most of them even felt the heat of the explosion all the way from the bleachers. Nevertheless, Ochaco kept trying to get close enough to Katsuki.

"TAKE THIS!" Ochaco yelled out, trying to distract him just long enough to touch him, but she was just hit again by an explosion, tossing dust and rubble everywhere. The brutality of the attack was such that several people in the audience decided to stop watching the fight and closed their eyes, unwilling to keep seeing a girl sent rolling along on the ground every time she attempted to get close.

But yet Ochaco kept trying.

"Ochaco-chan..." Tsuyu muttered, worried about her friend's well-being.

"I can't watch!" Kyoka said, covering her face with her hands.

"Man, Bakugo, I didn't know your tastes ran in that direction..." Denki said with a pervy tone, only for Kyoka to slap him with her earjacks even though her face was covered.

Ochaco kept trying to get close, and every time she did Bakugo fired yet another explosion, relentlessly hitting the girl dead on every time. And every time he did that, the rest got more and more uncomfortable with the match.

'_Not... yet..._' Ochaco thought. It hurt like her, getting blown off every time she tried to attack him, but her plan was working as every explosion kept breaking apart after each attack.

"**Uraraka keeps attacking without rest, but... this is...**" Present Mic stopped mid-sentence, not knowing what to say. _What_ could he say? He was witnessing a massacre.

"Her substitution earlier didn't work, so she's getting desperate," a Pro Hero commented from the crowd.

Neito looked at the bandages wrapped around his injured arm, then looked to the Pro Hero and sighed in annoyance.

"What an idiot."

"Hey! Shouldn't you stop this already? This is going a little too far!" a random member of the crowd yelled at Cementoss, who kept grimly watching the fight as Ochaco's charge was halted by another explosion.

"Boy! How can you say you want to be a hero like that? If there's such a huge difference in your abilities, just hurry up and send her out of bounds! Stop bullying the poor girl!" the Pro Hero said, starting to boo.

"Yeah! Yeah!"

Soon, what had been a few people became a whole crowd, booing at Katsuki for 'bullying' Ochaco. The ash-blond boy ignored them as he kept blasting the girl away whenever she charged in, but Mitsuki was not willing to let an insult to her son go unanswered, and soon enough Masaru, Inko and Toshinori had their hands full trying to hold her back from hurling objects or worse at the Pro Heroes that had started the reaction.

"**The crowd clearly doesn't like what they are seeing... and, honestly, I also feel the sa-**"

Before Present Mic could finish the sentence, Aizawa struck him in the face and covered the microphone.

"What the hell?" Present Mic asked, stunned by his fellow teacher's sudden attack, while Aizawa decided he had to make things clear to the obtuse.

"**Was that a Pro saying Bakugo is playing around? You have been a Pro for how long?**"

The crowd instantly stopped their verbal blasting of Katsuki, while Aizawa glared at the one who had started it all.

"**If you are saying that with a straight face, then there's no point in you watching anymore, so you'd better go home and look into changing careers!**"

The words hit the Pro Hero dumb: clearly, he wanted to argue, to bluster, to say something – but no words came out. In hindsight, he should have known better than to argue against one of U.A.'s Hero Course teachers. He certainly was now looking like a fool, while everyone else was left confused.

"**Eh? What do you mean, Eraserhead?**" Present Mic asked after recovering his microphone.

"**Bakugo is being careful because he's acknowledged his opponent's strength, one who has reached as far as he has. The reason he won't go easy on her or let his guard down is because he's doing everything he can to win and because he knows that underestimating her would be a fatal mistake. So, all of you who think like that idiot does, either sit down and shut up or go home and quit being a Hero!**"

Now suitably chastened, the jeerers chose to Aizawa's 'suggestion' and sat down again, meekly, not wanting to draw any more attention, while the irate Mitsuki calmed down and nodded towards the booth in gratitude for the Hero's defense of her son.

Meanwhile, at the ring, the smoke cleared out, and showed Ochaco still standing on her feet. Injured, tired, panting, but still unbeaten.

'_Shit, she's not dead yet,_' Katsuki thought, acknowledging the fact that Ochaco was tougher than she looked, and actually commended her for lasting so long. Not that he would say so to her face.

At the bleachers, Izuku also nodded, acknowledging the truth behind Aizawa's words, and even if he disliked his former friend, he could respect his attitude, particularly since he could easily tell from the distance that Katsuki had accepted that Ochaco was worthy of respect.

"It's time... I think... thanks, Bakugo..." Ochaco said, panting, and bringing her hands together. "Thanks for not letting your guard down!"

"Huh?" Katsuki asked, narrowing his eyes at her in confusion.

In the bleachers, Neito noticed something and looked up, nearly letting his jaw drop.

'_From where the idiot is, it would have been hard to notice, but the fact that the Pros missed it is absurd,_' he thought as he saw the trap Ochaco had prepared with no one noticing. '_She kept her body low as she advanced, kept him concentrated on the ground while she gathered her arsenal, one he unwittingly created._'

It was then that Katsuki noticed several strange shadows around him, and when he looked up he saw there was a great load of rubble and debris floating above him – rubble and debris he had created but had not noticed was gone because of his tunnel vision.

'_Damnit, how the hell did Round Face pull that off?_' he asked himself, quickly positioning himself, knowing that every second counted.

"I'm gonna win!" Ochaco shouted with determination, and she released her Quirk. "METEOR SHOWER!"

That was when everyone else realized what was happening as the rocks began to fall when the Zero Gravity effect on them was cancelled. Katsuki's eyes widened in shock.

"**METEOR SHOWER?**" Present Mic exclaimed, saying out loud what most of the crowd had been thinking.

"**You should have noticed,**" Aizawa fired, once more shaming the Pro Heroes in the bleachers.

"She had such a desperate plan up her sleeve?" Tenya yelled out in shock, as, much like most of Class 1-A, he hadn't even realized that she had planned her attack from the beginning.

Not so Izuku, who had smirked when Ochaco unleashed her special move. He had noticed what she had been doing from the beginning of the match, but had wisely chosen to keep quiet so she could better surprise both Katsuki and everyone else.

'_YES! You have an opening! Take it now, Ochaco-chan!_'

"Kick his ass, Uraraka-chan!" Mina cheered.

"Kero, it seems we underestimated her," Tsuyu admitted.

"Damn, that's so manly! I could tank that, but what will he do?" Eijiro shouted.

In the few seconds that passed as the rocks fell, both Hero classes considered what they could have done, and they all knew that only a few of them would have been able to do anything about the meteor storm.

As soon as she released her attack, she had started to sprint, using her Quirk on herself to go faster than normal.

'_No matter what he does, he will have to leave himself open, and then I'll be able to touch him!_'

"I will win! I will win... and be just like Dekiru-kun!"

She outstretched her hand, now just a handspan away from touching Bakugo, from achieving her hard-earned victory. Fingertips away from victory, from being like her Izuku!

But, right before she could claim her victory, Katsuki raised his left hand and ignited the biggest explosion he had let out in the entire day, so strong that, even though it was not pointing at her, it still blasted Ochaco away – and sent the closest people in the bleachers flying against their seats.

"Since you're friends with Deku, I figured you'd be up to something. That nerd is too smart for him to not rub off on you," Katsuki said from within the massive cloud that had formed after the explosion. When the cloud cleared, it was to show Katsuki Bakugo... unscathed.

Ochaco stared, wide eyed, in horror. Of the debris that she had so painfully worked to place on the sky so it would distract Katsuki, there was no trace.

"I-in one shot?" she whimpered. After all the planning and work she had put into her plan, he had dismantled it in a few seconds.

Katsuki had to admit that it had been a close call. Had he been off for a second or two, he knew he would have lost. Then he felt his left arm twinging in pain, and when he looked it was obvious that the explosion had been too hard for him to handle without his special gloves. His left arm spasmed, but he shrugged it off as though it was little more than a temporary nuisance.

"**AND BAKUGO DELIVERS A SATISFYING EXPLOSION! IN SPITE OF BEING CAUGHT BY SURPRISE BY URARAKA'S SECRET PLAN, HE BOLDLY BLASTS THROUGH A METEOR SHOWER!**" Present Mic stated, still stunned at such a display of raw power.

Ochaco shook as she tried to process everything that had just happened.

'_I-I did as much as I could... but he was not fazed at all..._'

'_C'mon, Ochaco-chan, don't give up! You can still win this one!_' Izuku thought, his breath hitching as he noticed Ochaco's distress. His heart soared when he saw Ochako getting back on her feet.

Katsuki smirked.

"Alright, let's get serious then, Uraraka!" he shouted, lowering his stance.

'_Did he just call her by her name?_' Izuku thought, surprised.

"If it were Dekiru-kun..." Ochaco mumbled, stumbling on her legs as she faced Katsuki, "he would never give up."

Ochaco felt her body screaming in pain. Her legs were about to give out, unable to support her weight. Her skin was burned. Her stomach was close to heaving from Quirk overuse. But she told her body to shut up and give her the strength she needed.

"It's not over yet!" she shouted, and suddenly she lunged forward in a last-ditch effort to touch Katsuki.

However, Katsuki managed to grab her wrist and pulled her close enough to punch her in the stomach, hard enough that she unwillingly stepped back just enough to let him unleash another explosion on her face, sending her to the ground, rolling.

"**Ooh, what a deadly blast from Bakugo! This could be the last straw for Uraraka!**" Present Mic shouted.

"I hope you still have some strength left, because I have more energy to spare!" Katsuki shouted, bringing his right hand forward in order to fire an explosion as soon as she tried to move.

Ochaco tried with what remained of her strength. However, even as she got her chest up, her arms and legs had already given up. But she did not want to give up.

'_My... body... it won't... do... what I want..._' she thought, trying to move but collapsing entirely, completely spent. '_I... still can..._'

_"When I get big, I'll help you and Mommy!"_

_"That would make me happy, Chaco-chan, but as your dad I'd be even happier if you could achieve your own dream. When that happens, you can take us to Hawaii!"_

_"Then I'll be the best Hero! I'll help everyone, and I'll use the money I earn for you!"_

"Daddy... Mommy... Dekiru..." she mumbled as her vision turned blurry, and finally her body shut off.

When it was obvious that Ochaco was not moving, Midnight approached the young girl and found her unconscious. She sighed and made the call.

"Uraraka Ochaco is unconscious! Bakugo Katsuki advances to the semi-finals!"

The jumbotron immediately displayed Katsuki's face above the word 'WINNER', but the blond boy barely paid attention to the smattering of applause as he left the ring, now partially destroyed from the brutal fight that had just taken place. While Cementoss started to repair the ring so it would be ready for the next match, the robot paramedics arrived and carefully placed Ochaco on a stretcher.

"Take her to Recovery Girl, now," Midnight commanded, and the robots wordlessly carried the unconscious girl to U.A.'s healer's temporary office, so Ochaco could get patched up.

"**So ends the second match of the quarter-finals... oh, Uraraka... and, yeah, Bakugo advances to the semi-finals,**" Present Mic announced, his tone making it clear he was upset that Ochaco hadn't pulled off the win he and a lot of other people were hoping for.

"**If you are going to commentate, do it properly. You are supposed to be unbiased,**" Aizawa commented with a monotone voice.

"**Now, let's pull ourselves together-**"

"**You are really letting your personal feelings take over...**"

"**Alright, fine, yes.**" Present Mic groaned. "**I'll do it properly from now on, but it doesn't stop me from hoping that Bakugo would lose.**"

_SLAM!_

Present Mic jumped back, nearly falling off his seat, as a soda cup suddenly slammed the window of the announcement booth: had the window been open, he would have been hit straight in the face.

"**See, _this_ is why it is important to be unbiased,**" Aizawa lectured, clearly unfazed. "**You are lucky this booth is protected, otherwise you would have been knocked out.**"

"**Point taken.**"

Tracing the trajectory of the cup, Aizawa found himself slightly unnerved when he saw that the origin came from a _very_ pissed off Mitsuki, who had not been stopped in time before she could let her feelings out in such a drastic way.

"**Well, we still have two more matches left in this round! We just need to give our good friend Cementoss a little more time to fix up the ring, but as soon as he is done the third match will take place!**"

The crowd cheered in excitement: after two impressive matches, they couldn't wait to see what else was in store.

Izuku, though, could only watch as Katsuki walked away while Ochaco was being carried in order to be treated for her wounds.

_"Let's meet in the semi-finals!"_

Izuku decided to get up and left the bleachers: he needed to go check on Ochaco.

* * *

Quickly navigating the stadium corridors, Izuku easily found the temporary hospital Recovery Girl had set up for emergencies such as this one. Knocking on the door, it opened on its own, revealing a smiling Ochaco, now wearing a new P.E. Uniform to replace the one she had lost in the fight.

"Ochaco-chan?" Izuku asked, worried, entering the office and standing next to her. "How... how are you? And your injuries?" Izuku asked, worried: after all that she had suffered, it was quite natural.

"Hi, Dekiru-kun! I'm fine, Recovery Girl took care of me! She only took out the worst injuries so I wouldn't be too drained, and the scratches will heal naturally," she replied, still smiling, but Izuku could tell that the smile was brittle. "And you? Why are you here?"

"Well, I came to check on you, you know? You got so badly hurt that I was worried."

"Thanks for comin'. Man, Bakugo got me hard, and here I thought I had a chance to win! I need to work harder if I want to catch up," she said. It was quite obvious that she was just trying to put up a front.

"You did have a chance to win, and you almost managed to take it. It was only bad luck that prevented you from taking the victory," Izuku told her, as suddenly Ochaco's phone began vibrating. When she checked the caller ID, it read 'Daddy'.

She pushed her phone towards her chest, and looked back at Izuku.

"Hey, no need to worry about me, Dekiru-kun. I lost, but you are still in, so you should go focus so you can do your best in your match against Bakugo, alright?"

"Are you sure? Momo and Itsuka's match will still take a while to begin, so I can keep you company if you want."

"No, I'm fine! Go and join the others, I just need to make a call, okay?" Ochaco reassured him, and he gave her a soft smile.

"Okay, if you say so. Take your time, Ochaco-chan," he replied, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

As soon as Izuku was gone, Ochaco pulled up her phone and dialed her father's phone number: it only took a ring before he picked up.

"Hi, Daddy. Sorry about not picking up earlier," she said.

"It's fine, Chaco-chan. I supposed you were busy recovering. Your mom and I were watching you on TV, and you were so amazing out there!"

"I wasn't amazing, Daddy. I rushed too much in the end and I didn't have a plan for what to do if the meteor shower didn't work. I... I was completely beaten," she replied with a low, sad tone, her eyes looking down the entire time as she let her mask crack.

"Is that so? Little girl, I don't fully understand how all of this works, but just because you lost a match it doesn't mean that your path has been closed off, right? You still have next year to show off how good you are."

"The further you advance in the tournament, the more you can show how well you do against different types – and the scouts can't tell with just two matches," she replied, starting to choke on her words.

"What are you in such a hurry for?"

"I mean... I want to h-help you guys..." she explained, tears starting to leak out of her eyes.

"Chaco-chan, you don't have to rush. You're such a good person that I am sure you will be able to show off even more the next time. You are going to be a great Hero, mark my words."

Ochaco started to sob as the tears began to drip on the cot she had sat on while she talked. Her father was so good! Even after she failed, he was still encouraging her.

"T-thank you, Daddy! I won't give up, no matter what. I will become a Hero!"

"That's my girl! Now, don't worry and join your friends again. Your mom and I are going to keep watching the Festival, so have fun, and call us when you get home, alright?"

Ochaco wiped her tears away, wishing she could just hug her parents, but she would settle for this talk.

"Okay. Bye, Daddy. I'll call you later. I love you, and tell Mom I love her, too."

"I love you too, sweetie. And don't worry, I'll let her know. Take care!"

Hanging up, Ochaco placed her phone on the cot and kept wiping the tears that refused to stop coming out, when someone knocked on the door – followed by the door opening again, showing Izuku.

"Are you better now?" he asked, more worried than early.

Without a word, Ochaco, who could not hold it in any longer, jumped on Izuku and held him in a crushing hub, and she began to sob again. Izuku made a calming noise as he rubbed his fingers through her brown locks.

"W-What are you doing h-here, D-D-Dekiru-kun? I t-told I was f-fine," she said.

"Isn't it obvious? I could tell that you were frustrated and sad about losing when you were so close to victory, so when you got your call, I thought to stay out there and give you time to end it before returning. Besides, I just couldn't stand to let my best friend stay sad. You've encouraged me before, so I thought it was high time I returned that favor."

Ochaco sniffed again, burying her face into Izuku's chest.

"I... I wanna help them, I really, really wanna, Dekiru-kun, but... but I lost. I don't know how much longer they can wait, but every year business has been declining, and I couldn't even make it to the semifinals to face you, like I said I was. I just looked like an idiot, like a fa-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," Izuku whispered, loud enough to ensure Ochaco would hear it. She gasped and she looked up to him, to see him staring at her with both unrelenting resolve and unending softness.

"Don't say something like that about yourself ever again, Ochaco-chan, you hear me? You. Are. Not. A. Failure. Listen, it's okay to lose, everybody does at some point. And right now nobody is upset with you for that. All I could hear out there was about how impressed people were that you did so great in your match. You had the disadvantage in the match, but you didn't give up at all. You held your ground and kept going forward no matter what happened. Even when you were hurting, you came up with several great plans that would have worked if Bakugo had not looked the right way at the right point. Hell, you even caught him off guard, and that's worth a win in my book. After all you did in the race, the battle, and now the fights against Sero and Bakugo... do you honestly believe that the Pros would ignore your talent? You are going to be a great Hero, Ochaco-chan, and I am sure your parents are proud of having such a wonderful daughter... the same way I am proud of my best friend."

Ochaco sniffed and rubbed her eyes, looking back at Izuku.

"When you say all of that to me... do you really believe it?"

Izuku nodded.

"Why would I say it if I didn't believe it to be true?"

Ochaco smiled as she hugged him tighter than before.

"Thank you, Dekiru-kun. It meant a lot to me."

"Anytime," he said, hugging her back. "What are Heroes for?"

The feeling of Izuku's warm arms around her body suddenly made her quite conscious about the fact that said arms were hard and strong, and as she pressed into his body she realized he had the body of a star athlete – she had known about it, but it had escaped her mind until now.

Unwittingly, the image of a shirtless Izuku cropped into her mind, and she felt her face flush red. However, even though she was embarrassed about the feeling, she did not want to ruin the good moment, and besides her body was unsurprisingly unwilling to leave the refuge she had walked into.

After a few minutes, she finally managed to get her thoughts under control and dried her face, chuckling softly afterwards.

"Look at me, acting like a big baby, crying in front of you. Sorry about that, Dekiru-kun."

"Hey, don't apologize for crying. It actually shows that you are strong, and it helps you release all those pent-up feelings you've been holding back. Do you feel better now?"

"Yes, yes I do! Thank you so much!" she chirped, now back to her bubbly self, much to his happiness.

"Now, one last thing. You are strong and kind, Ochaco-chan, so give yourself good credit and work harder to improve yourself. That way, you won't ever have to rely on another person, because you will be right where you need to be. Can you do that for me?"

Ochaco blushed faintly as Izuku's gentle touch grazed her shoulders, but still she nodded, now full of hope and determination.

"I will! I will work, and I will become the great Hero I have always wanted to be!"

"Perfect," he replied. "How about you take a few minutes for yourself, and then join us in the bleachers? The next match is going to begin in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Dekiru-kun. You are a great friend!" she said, hiding the cringe at her saying he was her friend. Considering how she held herself in competition with Itsuka, Momo and Mina over him, it didn't sit well with her to refer to him as such.

"As always."

* * *

In the room assigned to her, Momo waited until the signal came to indicate Cementoss had finished fixing the ring from the brutal fighting between Ochaco and Bakugo. To say she was nervous was a given: this fight was going to be hard enough, thanks to Itsuka's fighting skill, but in some way she was worried about what it might do to their bludgeoning friendship, and also there always was the matter of Izuku.

And, talking about the devil, the green-haired boy entered the waiting room, carrying a box with him.

"Hey, Momo. I thought you might be hungry, so I brought some food," he said, offering her the box.

"Thank you," Momo said, taking the box and starting to gobble down the high-calorie bars contained within: every bit of energy would be fundamental if she wanted to win. And just as she finished swallowing the last bit, she got the warning that the ring had been fixed, signalling that soon her match would begin.

"Well, time for me to go," Izuku stated, taking his leave. "You are smart and strong, so believe in yourself and you will be able to win. Do your best, alright? I know you can do it!"

Momo placed her right hand over her heart, smiling as she watched the boy she liked leave.

"Izuku-kun... thank you," she whispered, and then she left the room, ready for her second match.

* * *

"**Everyone, thank Cementoss for his great work! And now, let's get on with our third quarter-final match!**" Present Mic announced, carefully eyeing the part of the bleachers where Bakugo's mother was, in case she decided to try her luck with a second attempt to hit him. "**Both girls fighting now are their classes' representatives, and now they represent them in this fight! On one corner, the Queen of Creation, Yaoyorozu Momo! And, on the other corner, the Karate Princess, Kendo Itsuka!**"

As the crowds cheered, Momo and Itsuka stood across from each other: they were friends, partners, study companions – but now they were rivals, both in the field of battle and when it came to the green-haired boy that was watching them.

"Ready to get your butt kicked, Yaomomo?" Itsuka taunted her, smiling to show she was not being serious.

"You wish," Momo fired back, undoing the zipper holding her uniform in place, uncaring of the fact that the audience was probably ogling her.

"And..."

When they heard Midnight speak up, the girls got into their stance.

"BEGIN!"

Immediately, Itsuka enlarged her fist and charged forward before throwing a hook at Momo, only for her to block the strike with a shield and countering with a staff. Itsuka managed to dodge it easily and struck back. Soon, the two girls were engaged in hard combat as they kept hitting and dodging blows before backing off for a second and starting again.

"**Look at these girls go! It's a real battle we have here!**"

In the booths used by the Hero Course students, each class was cheering on their classmate, while Vlad did the same from his seat in the teachers' booth.

"Just look at them go!" Eijiro exclaimed.

"It seems like they are at a stalemate," Tsuyu said.

"Well, duh!" Mina said as if it were obvious. "They've been hanging out together since the school year started, of course they know how they act in a fight."

"It will be interesting to see who will come out victorious. After all, Yaoyorozu-san is our representative while Kendo-san is Class 1-B's," Fumikage remarked.

Knowing that she had to change strategies if she wanted to win, Momo crafted a new plan as she tried to keep Itsuka away and prevented her from attacking her right side. When Itsuka backed off a step, she saw the chance.

Quickly creating a flashbang, she threw it on Itsuka's face while covering her own, hoping it would work the third time. However, Itsuka was able to cover herself with her large hands just in time. Momo had already created and thrown a second flashbang, hoping it would catch Itsuka off guard: at the very least, she could manage to keep her distracted.

While the crowd tried to get over the dizziness of two loud and flashing explosions close to each other, Momo rushed at Itsuka, raising her staff before bringing it down on her. Itsuka managed to catch the staff with her right hand, and the two briefly struggled before Itsuka managed to pry the staff off Momo's hands and throw it out of the ring.

The weapon out of the way, Itsuka unleashed a flurry of blows on Momo, who tried to block the attacks with her shield. Suddenly, Itsuka reduced her hands' size and charged, parrying the shield with a hand before attacking with both hands, activating her Quirk just before impact to maximize damage.

"Double Jumbo Fist!"

The strength of the double punch sent Momo into the air, but just as it seemed like she would fall off the ring she managed to create a short sword she used to stab the ground, halting her momentum just as her heel touched the edge.

Deciding it was time to go all out, Momo created a cannon from her abdomen and fired an iron ball at Itsuka, who managed to block the attack with her left hand, although it was still strong enough to push her back and hurt.

The balance reestablished, both girls glared at each other before charging once more: Momo created a second shield and put them both up to act as a wall while Itsuka enlarged her hands again.

_BANG!_

The slam as both girls clashed caused another stalemate, as they attempted to push each other. However, soon Momo found herself losing ground, a victim of Itsuka's greater strength and training. Step by step, Momo was forced back towards the edge.

Itsuka took her by surprise by enlarging her hands to their biggest size yet again and pushed her, unbalancing her enough that she lost one of her shields, giving Itsuka the opening she needed to grab Momo with her hands. Momo attempted to move or create something that could free her, but Itsuka's grip was too strong to break free and there was not enough room to create.

The possibility became academic soon, though, as Itsuka shouted and threw Momo away with all her might, causing her to land out of the ring.

"Yaoyorozu Momo is out of bounds! Kendo Itsuka advances to the semifinals!"

"YES! You go, Itsuka!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed.

"Great job," Neito said, smiling proudly as he clapped for his classmate.

"That was awesome, Itsuka-chan!" Setsuna screamed.

"The only classmate to represent us in the finals," Yui noted.

"HA! Choke on that, Aizawa!" Vlad yelled in excitement, pointing to his fellow homeroom teacher, who studiously ignored him through the experience he had accumulated along the years.

As soon as the match was called, Itsuka headed over to Momo and helped her back on her feet. Momo took her loss with grace, and both girls smiled as they shook hands.

"That was great, Itsuka-chan," Momo complimented her.

"You were great too, Yaomomo-chan. We'll have to see what happens next time."

Momo smirked with confidence.

"Next time I will defeat you."

Itsuka smirked back.

"We'll see about that."

The fire in both girls' hearts brightened with competitive passion, Itsuka's tiger to Momo's dragon, as they left the ring together.

* * *

"**Another amazing match, between two great young ladies! And now, let's move on to the last match of the quarter-finals!**"

Mina grinned as she stood up.

"Awesome! It's my turn now!" she said.

"Good luck, Ashido-san!" Izuku called out.

"Thanks, Midori-kun! And call me Mina-chan!" she replied, leaving the booth to go downstairs.

"**And here they are! To the east, the cool prodigy, Todoroki Shoto, and to the west, the marketing campaign victim, Ashido Mina!**"

"Hey! Did you have to remind them of that?" Mina shouted, still stinging over how Mei had used her for her own plans.

Shoto, meanwhile, stared at Mina with his typical coolness, but Mina held her ground, unafraid.

"You may be powerful, Todoroki-san, but I will not go down without a fight!" Mina shouted.

"And... BEGIN!"

Immediately, Shoto launched a barrage of ice with the intention of freezing Mina, but the pink-haired girl quickly dodged out of the way before throwing two balls of acid at him. Shoto had been expecting her to avoid the attack, since he knew that, after the first match, everybody would seek to counter it. As for the acid balls, he only had to step out of the way before throwing an icy wind at Mina, hoping it would slow her down and give him a chance to freeze her.

"Haaa!" Mina shouted as she burst through the wind, throwing more acid at Shoto. The dual-haired boy dodged to his right, intending to set up an attack to answer with his ice, but Mina threw a barrage of acid that caught him off guard and prevented him from having a chance to dodge. Soon enough, Mina was pressing her advantage, aided by her use of acid to skate across the ring, and she kept attacking Shoto as he continued to dodge her attacks.

All of a sudden, Shoto changed his trajectory and shoulder charged Mina, causing her to squeak and cough in surprise. Before she could react, Shoto had already grabbed her wrist and activated his Quirk, causing frost to quickly spread up her arm. Mina attempted to use her acid to melt the ice while kicking Shoto away, but her legs were frozen to the ground as well too fast for her to do anything.

Soon, she was encased in an icy glacier that only left her head free, unable to make any acid that would allow her to escape and definitely completely stuck.

"Ashido Mina is immobilized! Todoroki Shoto advances to the semifinal!" Midnight declared. Quickly, Shoto melted the ice and quietly apologized to the girl before she was taken away by the robot paramedics.

"**Oooh, it seems like Ashido was not cool enough for Todoroki!**" Present Mic commented.

"**Really? That's the pun you came up with?**" Aizawa deadpanned, but his protest was ignored.

"These are the two semifinals! Whoever wins them will reach the final match!" Midnight declared, as the jumbotron showed the next two matches that would begin soon.

_1st Match: Midoriya Izuku vs Bakugo Katsuki_

"Finally, I'm going to get my hands on you, Deku!" Katsuki yelled, happy that he would finally get his chance to fight Izuku and beat him in front of everyone. Their parents looked with worry at the teens, while Toshinori watched his successor with confidence in his victory.

Izuku just gave Katsuki a confident smile and cracked his knuckles.

"Bring it on, Bakugo. Let's settle this once and for all!" he answered, his resolution to never back down still strong.

_2nd Match: Kendo Itsuka vs Todoroki Shoto_

Looking into Shoto's cold stare, Itsuka ensured she would be telling him without any words that she was not going to back down to him any time soon.

In the bleachers, Endeavor looked sternly at his son, annoyed that he kept refusing to use his left side, only to spite him.

"**There you have it, listeners! The tournament is nearing its end, and soon we will know who wins this year's First Year Sports Festival!**"

* * *

**Soundtrack: ****_Ultraman Squad_ from _ULTRAMAN _****when Izuku vs Tenya fights begins****. _Repel_ from _Godzilla COTEOB_ when Ochaco vs Katsuki fight begins then _Impossible Victory_ from _Yu-Gi-Oh! GX_ when Ochaco unleashes Meteor Shower. _Sadness_ from _Sonic Adventure_ when Izuku comforts Ochaco. _Battle Theme 02_ from _MHA One's Justice_ when Momo vs. Itsuka fight begins.**

* * *

**Me: Okay, we finally going to end this arc with an intense and emotional chapter next up. What do you think, Milarqui?**

**Milarqui: That there's still a lot that can happen. And also that it is good to see Mina being versatile enough to prevent Shoto from achieving another easy victory.**

**Izuku outsmarts Tenya! Ochaco is overpowered by Katsuki! Izuku comforts Ochaco! Itsuka beats Momo! Shoto stops Mina cold! The end is near for the Sports Festival!**

**Izuku's Super Moves shown-**

*** Ambassador Magma Meteor: A 1965-67 Manga/Tokusatsu about a living giant forged from gold who predates Ultraman by just six days.**

*** Rodan Smash: A giant Pteranodon who appeared in his film on 1956.**

**That's all for now folks, so please leave a review. NO FLAMES, RANTS OR NEGATIVE COMMENTS! Criticism, negative or positive is great, I'll take it and will respond in PM. I also will not accept guest reviews and decline the ideas from them.**

**Thanks for reading everybody, I'll be seeing you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	12. Sports Festival Pt5

**Me: Hello everybody, my name _is_ Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! Finally we are at the final part of the Sports Festival arc that covers the Semi-Final & Final along with what's up ahead of it.**

**I will say this Milarqui, this chapter ****really ****has me anxious and excited here. Especially that we have Corona Virus panic happening!**

**Milarqui: ****Well, here I am, enclosed in my home, so the only things left for me to do are to work on my project and this. And... sheesh, 50 (turned to 45) pages? That's gonna take some time.**

**Let's begin, shall we!**

**Chapter 11: Sports Festival Part 5**

* * *

The First Year Sports Festival was probably one of the most entertaining that had taken place in a long time, and the people within the stadium were not the only ones watching: elsewhere in the campus, three third year students were also watching a TV screen, intent on seeing their junior students in a break from their training for their own piece of the Festival.

The tallest of them looked like an European comic book character: a simple face that could have been drawn in a swipe, blue oval eyes with no visible sclera and a nose that seemed to be rounder than that of most. His blond hair was uniquely shaped as well, with the top arranged in a cowlick while the rest was swept backward. This was Mirio Togata, considered by many the strongest future Hero of his age.

The second was a fair-skinned girl with knee-long periwinkle hair that twisted around her waist and curved on her legs. Her side-swept bangs, tucked behind her ears, hanged in just the way to reveal her constantly curious royal blue eyes and her long, thick eyelashes. Had someone asked her classmates, they would have said she was the "cute girl" of the class. Her name was Nejire Hado.

The third was a pale, tall young man, with a pair of ears that gave him an almost elf-like face, something his thin complexion did not help prevent. His messy indigo hair stuck out behind his head and also partially covered his eyes, giving the feeling of a shy person, which was reinforced by the way he kept his shoulders hunched and his penchant for avoiding to make eye contact with other people. He was Tamaki Amajiki.

"Wow, this has to be the most exciting Festival I've ever watched! Those kids' Quirks are so awesome!" Nejire said, excited.

"No kidding. Those kids survived that villain attack a few weeks ago, and it clearly shows there," Mirio added, smiling at his friend. Meanwhile, Tamaki just shrugged and kept watching.

"And that green-haired boy... he's probably the most powerful of the lot, and his Quirk looks a lot like mine," Nejire added, her interest turning towards the one who had won the first two competitions.

"He does look the part. I mean, he did take on one of the strongest villains at the USJ and won!" Mirio grinned: he was planning to meet Izuku and see if the younger boy wanted to make a friendly spar. "Let's see what else he can do!"

"Sure!" Nejire chirped.

Tamaki gave a small smile at his friends' enthusiasm and nodded.

* * *

The trio was not the only group of would-be heroes watching the Festival: in the Hero school known as Shiketsu, another four students were studying all the events taking place in the Festival.

The only girl in the group, Camie Utsushimi, had straight, fawn-colored shoulder-length hair and large, dark brown eyes. Her full, plump, glossy lips and curvaceous figure made her the object of attention of many a young man.

Out of the three boys, the first of them, Inasa Yoarashi, the only first year student in the bunch, with his buzzed, dark brown hair, high stature and built body, could easily rival many Pro-Heroes in his ability to gather everyone's attention by sheer presence.

The second boy, Seiji Shishikura, was more average in height, and stood out due to his purple hair, fluffier and in tufts in the back while covering his left eye, preventing people from fully gazing into his thin, slanted eyes.

Finally, the third boy, Nagamasa Mora, stood out because of his body, entirely covered in light brown hair that only left his eyes open to the rest of the world.

"They are, indeed, strong. Not that hard to believe they survived a villain attack," Seiji said.

"I heard the green-haired boy right there was the one that fought off the villains and saved the teachers!" Inasa stated, fired up, as the next tournament match came closer. "I really wanna meet this guy!"

"After all he showed throughout the Festival, I can believe that," Nagamasa replied.

"Yeah, and he's, like, totes awesome and lit!" Camie excitedly claimed, looking at the picture of the boy that had become the center of attention through the Festival.

* * *

Unaware of how much attention he was attracting from all over the country, Izuku was now walking towards the ring, for his match against his former friend.

Unfortunately, that was the moment a giant flaming figure chose to turn the corner and cross his path.

"Ah, there you are, Midoriya!" Endeavor said, smiling as he saw him. "I have been looking around for you to have a little talk."

"You were looking for me?" Izuku asked, blinking as an eyebrow rose, before settling for giving him a cold look: after Shoto's warning, he did not hold much awe for the man. "So, what does the Number Two Pro Hero want with me, out of all the competitors?"

"I was watching your fights," the Flame Hero stated, pointing at him. "You prove to have great talent and a versatile Quirk, one capable of doing so many different things with energy from anywhere on your body. But, if we are talking about power... yours really reminds me a lot of All Might."

Izuku willed himself not to flinch at the statement, and took a deep breath while trying to calm down. There was no way Endeavor knew about One for All and its secret: All Might had kept that very well hidden over the years, so there was no reason to panic. Even if he, like his son, had noticed the connection.

"Is that all you wanted to say?" Izuku asked. "My match begins soon, and I'd rather not be late."

He immediately passed by the older man, hoping to get away from him as fast as possible, but the man clearly did not think their conversation was finished.

"It is Shoto's duty to ensure he is ready to surpass All Might and replace me. I created him for that purpose alone," he continued, stepping into Izuku's way. "Beating my son in two events is no small feat, but you having a similar Quirk to All Might's will no doubt put my son to a great test before you fall to his might. He will eventually use his flames, and I hope you can push him out of this childish tantrum he is in. Don't make your match a disgrace."

"Is that all he is to you? Just a tool to defeat All Might?" Izuku asked in annoyance.

"He is my son. Why do you care?" Endeavor asked, the flames on him burning brighter in response to his agitation. Izuku did not react to the change.

"In the first place, I still have my match with Bakugo, and I don't plan to underestimate him, because he could knock me out before I even get to Todoroki."

"Hmph, that boy is strong for his age, but he is nothing compared to you or my son," Endeavor huffed. "I expect him to meet you in the finals. That's all I wanted to say."

"Just a friendly reminder before I leave," Izuku said, his classmate's words resounding in his mind. "I am not All Might. And Todoroki is not you. In fact, for the time I've known him, he has proven to be far more caring than you have showed so far in this conversation."

"Excuse me?" Endeavor asked, shocked and confused: in his many years as a Pro, few had been willing to verbally attack him in this manner.

Izuku just sighed. For all that he was said to be an intelligent man, it seemed that Endeavor was not immune to being stupid.

"Just answer this for me. Why is that, while you capture more villains and solve more cases than All Might, you are still stuck as Number Two while he remains Number One?"

"Because he's more powerful than me, but my son is more powerful than me as well, and soon he will prove himself more powerful than All Might and surpass him," Endeavor answered.

"Sorry, but that's mostly false. All Might is more powerful than you, indeed, but his power is mainly brute force, while you have the means to overwhelm opponents he cannot. And, given his current attitude, your son will never be the Number One hero... especially when it has been caused by a father who abused his own family for his own goals."

Endeavor's eyes widened in shock, and Izuku pored in the pressure. "Yeah, I know about it, but I won't tell anyone: I just wanted to tell you that the reason you are Number Two is because you don't act like a hero should. You care more about your legacy than your family. You would rather capture the villains than protect other people, and when you do that it's clearly not your priority. You believe that eliminating the threat is the smart way to deal with a villain, which has its own merits, but All Might believes that protecting people is the most important thing for heroes. If a villain tries to escape and manages to injure civilians, you would pursue the villain to detain him, rather than protect the people."

"That's the difference between you two. If you had bothered less about your legacy and more about helping people and your family, you would have been a tougher competition for that position. And.. and you know I am right, Endeavor. You know that if you had worked on improving your heroic traits, you might have done it. And also, why do you claim your son is meant to surpass All Might? How do you know he will still be around when Todoroki goes Pro? Because the two of you have been working on for years, and All Might may retire this year or the next. That would certainly leave you with the Number One title on a technicality, which would mean everything you have done has been for nothing, and will leave you with that title and a family scarred by all the pain you inflicted on them for the sake of glory..."

Knowing he had left the man stunned, Izuku walked away. Endeavor could only watch as Izuku left and turned the corner. After a while, he spun on his heels and stomped off, back to the stands.

* * *

"**We have our last four fighters, so LET'S START THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEMIFINALS!**"

The crowd cheered aloud as the jumbotron displayed Izuku and Katsuki's faces: after everything they had seen along the day, they knew that this match was going to be good.

Both combatants walked out to the ring at the same time, staring at each other. Or, rather, Izuku was staring: he could see his former friend was giving him the death glare. Clearly, the fight was about to get quite personal.

"**And, in this match, we have two students that pack a big punch! One one side, the Tokusatsu Powerhouse, the one that has dominated this entire Sports Festival from the beginning! It's none other than Midoriya Izuku! And, in front of him... well, a guy who still has anger issues, heh? He has faced strong opponents before, but let's see how he does against one of the strongest in his class! It is Bakugo Katsuki!**"

"What did that bastard say? I'LL KILL YOU!" Katsuki yelled, clearly not taking lightly to Present Mic's rather biased comments. He was not the only one: in the stands, Mitsuki was glaring at the commenters' box, while her companions tensed, ready to act if she tried to repeat her previous reaction.

"**This match ought to be one to remember,**" Aizawa stated: from everything he had seen, he knew the two youngsters had a heated history. Both were exceptional in combat, and now they were about to find out who was better between the two.

"This is going to be a rematch from the one in the Battle Trial," Tsuyu said, feeling the tension in the air.

"A fated match between two rivals," Ochaco said, her eyes glued on the boy she liked and the one that had defeated her in the previous round.

"Man, this is going to be intense," Denki said, remembering what had happened in the duo's first fight: after all the time they had had, he was sure this match was going to get personal.

"You said it... a fight between _Men_!" Eijiro yelled out.

"I'm worried about Midori-kun, Momo-chan," Mina said with a nervous tone.

"I am too, Mina-chan. But I have complete faith that Izuku-kun is going to pull through and win," Class 1-A's representative said, holding her right hand over her beating heart.

In the Class 1-B's bleachers, Setsuna watched, worried, while Neito secretly cheered for Izuku to win the match.

"I know you are going to beat Bakugo, Izu-kun, so do it," Itsuka muttered.

As for the parents of the two combatants... both were aware of the bad history their sons had, and hoped the fight would end without either of them suffering grave injuries.

"When I'm done with you, Deku, I'll send you home crying!" Katsuki bellowed.

"Big words from you," Izuku replied, smirking. "That's not going to happen any time soon. I vow to win, and I'm going all the way to victory!"

"You're acting a little arrogant, huh?" Katsuki's glare intensified. "I suggest you don't underestimate me, Deku, or else I'll leave you a broken mess!"

"It's not that I think I can beat you, Bakugo. It's that I _know_ I will beat you, whether you like it or not. And _that's_ a promise I plan to keep."

Katsuki gritted his teeth, while Midnight prepared.

"Ready?"

The two boys moved to their respective stances as the R-Rated hero looked at them.

"START!"

Immediately, Katsuki rushed Izuku, priming his right hook for an attack, the same way he had done during their first Hero Training battle.

"You never learn, Bakugo! How many times do I have to tell yo-"

He was suddenly cut off when Katsuki suddenly sparked an explosion in his right hand, jumping sideways while hitting Izuku with an unexpected explosion straight in the face, sending him flying across the ring.

"**Oh, snap! Someone _finally_ lands a hit on Midoriya!**" Present Mic commented, shocked, like everyone else, that Katsuki had managed to catch Izuku off guard.

In the 1-A stands, Shoto's eyes widened in shock.

'_He's fighting differently from what he did during the Battle Trial!_'

Izuku got back up, and gazed at his former friend, slightly shocked: not only had he deviated from the usual move, the explosion had felt a lot more powerful.

"What was that?"

Katsuki smirked.

"Did you really think I was going to use the same strategy again? I know you've been observing me a lot, but, guess what? Ever since the day you beat me, I have been training nonstop everyday to create a fighting style to use just on you, Deku! These moves are things that you haven't seen before! I am a lot stronger than before, and I have been holding this back until I faced you one on one! And now, it's just you and me, with nobody else getting in our way!"

Izuku dusted himself off and regained his stance before creating a small energy ring, throwing it at Katsuki. The explosive boy quickly dodged the projectile before throwing an explosion at Izuku, who just formed a small barrier to block the attack.

"Well, you have certainly improved, Bakugo, I'm impressed," Izuku said, smiling. "But let's see if you can do more than just talk!"

Immediately, Izuku started to create several energy bullets and aimed them at his opponent.

"**Kikaider Bullets!**"

The bullets started to fly against Katsuki, who, to Izuku's mild surprise, was capable of dodging most of them. In spite of this, Izuku was not worried: Katsuki did not know that the bullets were quite special, in that they would ricochet off the walls and immediately bounce back towards him.

Thus, a few moments later, Katsuki was hit several times in the back, making him snarl in pain as more bullets hit him when he stopped dodging. Realizing the danger, he immediately started to blast the bullets away as soon as he could hit them.

"Come on, Deku! Stop standing there like an idiot and get serious, because if you don't I will destroy you!" Katsuki yelled, using an explosion to propel himself towards Izuku.

He was ready for a direct blow, but before he could fire a black tendril sprung out of Izuku's arm and grappled him on the arm he had primed for an attack: Izuku used it to slam Katsuki into the ground and send him flying with a kick before the tendrils retreated back into his arm. Katsuki managed to land safely by using his explosions and smirked.

"So, you brought out those black strings from your arms! Good! Now, let's get this show on the road!"

This time, Katsuki chose to run towards Izuku at full speed, a maniacal grin on his face.

"Fine, you asked for it!" Izuku started to create green energy, swirling around him, before concentrating it into a dark green buzzsaw-like disc that levitated on his hand before he tossed it straight at Bakugo. "**Metal Hero Edge!**"

"Get that shit out of my face! **Stun Grenade**" Katsuki yelled, firing an explosion that destroyed the energy disc. The mix between energies caused a bright flash, followed by much smoke. "You are going to have to hit a lot harder than that if you want to land a scratch on me!"

Katsuki used the smoke to try and sneak into Izuku, but before he could attack him, Izuku moved aside and began to turn.

"Oh, yeah? How about this!"

Izuku followed by kicking Katsuki on his ribs, sending him flying again across the ring.

"**WOW! So much action! This match has me on the edge of the seat!**"

The crowd clearly agreed with him, cheering even louder than before.

"That was a good shot, Deku," Katsuki said, standing up and rubbing his ribs, "but I let you get that one. That's all you're getting in this fight!"

"We'll see about that! Show me what you got!" Izuku yelled back.

"With pleasure!"

Katsuki immediately fired off several Stun Grenades in an attempt to disrupt Izuku's vision. However, Izuku knew the trick and he felt Katsuki about to attack him from above, so he sidestepped and attempted to counterattack – only for Katsuki to anticipate that and quickly set off an explosion to create a distance. However, Izuku's quick thinking throttled that explosion with an energy barrier and he caught up to Katsuki.

"Looks like I'm going to have to up my game here," the ash blond said, seething at how easily Izuku was handling the explosions. "You are becoming a nuisance, you know that, Deku? Stop dodging and blocking my fucking explosions, you dipshit!"

Izuku was forced to use several energy blasts to deflect the following explosions, because there were too many to dodge them, but this gave him enough time to get close enough to aim a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Katsuki attempted to block the attack with an explosion, but Izuku saw it coming and prepared his other attack.

"**Inazuman Whip!**"

Quickly spinning around, Izuku pulled out another black tendril, this time covered in dark green energy, and hit Katsuki in the midsection, sending him tumbling towards the floor, although unfortunately not enough to knock him out of bounds or unconscious, as Katsuki was soon back on his feet, albeit clenching where the whip move had struck him.

"Those attacks won't stop me, Deku!"

"Maybe, but they don't tickle, either, so let's spice things up a little!" Izuku replied, thrusting the tendril towards Katsuki, who blocked it with one arm as the tendril latched onto it.

"You think you can get me again with these tentacles like you did in the cavalry battle? Not gonna happen, Deku!" Katsuki yelled as he grabbed a hold of the tendrils and started to pull Izuku towards him.

'_Shit, he's strong enough to pull them!_' Izuku thought, losing his balance even as Katsuki prepared an attack. '_He's going for a point-blank shot!_'

"Get ready to be burned to ashes!" Katsuki's free hand began to light up, but before he could let off the explosion, the tendrils retreated back into Izuku's arm and he used his energy to fly away. "That's not going to help you, asshole! I'm going to kill you with this explosion. Now, die!"

At the same time, Izuku threw his arms forward, fists pointing at Katsuki.

"**Zone Fighter Blast!**"

The move he had used during the Entrance Exam fired a condensed beam of energy from his arms, colliding with Katsuki's explosion. When the attacks touched each other, the entire stadium was lit up in a big deflagration, and smoke covered the ring for a full minute before clearing away to show both fighters kneeling. While Katsuki was panting, Izuku was looking at him, wondering how the explosion had managed to stop his powerful attack.

"**Wow! You got some really flashy students, Eraserhead! No wonder you haven't expelled them!**" Present Mic yelled, clearly excited over the match.

"**I only expel those who have no potential at all, and as you can clearly see, these guys have great potential to become Pro Heroes in a few years. That's why I didn't expel them... yet,**" Aizawa replied, better concealing his interest in the battle between his strongest students than his fellow commenter.

"Tell me something, Bakugo. What happened between us, huh?" Izuku asked as Katsuki stood up, scowling. "Come on, tell me what you really thought of me all this time!"

"You have always been naïve, Deku! You really wanna know my thoughts? Then, fine, here's what's on my mind!"

Katsuki fired multiple explosions, prompting Izuku to jump out of the way, but, to his surprise, it was barely a moment later that he felt Katsuki behind him.

'_What the-_'

Before he could fully turn around, Katsuki punched him square in the face, sending him crashing to the floor.

"God you make me so angry... did you know that, Deku?"

Izuku got back up on his feet, slightly grimacing at the pain he felt in his cheek, and he used Help to begin healing the injury.

"You kept following me around when we were kids, always behind me! And no matter how much I tried you kept coming back!"

He got into his stance as Katsuki walked towards him.

"But then, out of nowhere, you got that bullshit energy Quirk and just kept getting stronger! And then I was the one chasing after you! How did a small fry like you get so powerful? You got so much better, and you made me look like a total fool! You've been looking down on me this entire time, haven't you? "

'_That's what you really believe, Bakugo?_' Izuku thought, narrowing his eyes, while Katsuki gritted his teeth in anger.

"Say something, you fucking dipshit!"

In a burst of unnatural speed, Katsuki was up in Izuku's face, and he had no time to react to another harsh explosion right on the face, one strong enough that it sent him all the way almost to the edge of the ring, and Izuku had to land on his knee to stop himself.

Then Katsuki was there again and grabbed him by the collar, smirking.

"What's the matter, not winning as easily as you thought?"

Izuku looked at him with a defiant smirk.

"I never said it would be easy."

Katsuki growled.

"You won't be winning at all!"

He slapped him twice, as hard as he could, and Izuku growled back at him, trying to regain his bearings after the explosion.

"What's the matter, nerd? You feeling angry, humiliated? Is that it?" Katsuki kneed him in the stomach, and Izuku spat out saliva from the pain. "You son of a bitch! You don't know what humiliation is!"

The crowd both stadium and from home was soon cringing as Katsuki repeatedly punched Izuku in the face, with a brutality that was clearly out of place for what was supposed to be a friendly competition. In the stands, Mitsuki was clearly not liking what her son was doing to Inko's while Masaru had his hands full trying to hold her back. Inko covered her face, unwilling to see her son being so brutally beaten, and Toshinori had a serious look on his face. The three third year students and Shiketsu students were appalled by this senseless act of violence as Nejire and Camie were tearing up in their respective rooms.

"I'll teach you what humiliation feels like, just like you taught me! Just like how you've been looking down on me this entire time! The way you've humiliated me in this entire Festival! I'll show everyone how weak you truly are in front of all of these people! You think that just because you got a backbone you are going to beat me? Not a fuckin' chance! Who cares if you got some flashy quirk now? You're still nothing! An insect that I can crush whenever I want! You were supposed to be a pebble on the side of the road to become the Number One Hero! And when I beat you and finish you off, you won't be a hindrance to my goal! So get ready to home crying to auntie Inko-chan!" Katsuki finished, while preparing to finish Izuku off and win, whose eyes is covered in shadows.

"HEY, BRAT! WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS UNNECESSARY! JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN AND START THINKING!" Mitsuki yelled from the stands: she understood her son's wish to win, but Katsuki's brutality against Izuku was, she felt, uncalled for.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU OLD HAG! THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU! MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!" Katsuki yelled back, not liking how his mother was trying to butt in his fight. To the side, Midnight was tempted to just use her Quirk to put an end to the brutality, but it was too late as Katsuki prepared one last explosion to throw Deku out of bounds.

But then his attacking hand was stopped in mid-air, grabbed by something, and when Katsuki looked, he was shocked to see the green energy covering it.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Then, the unthinkable happened.

_Crack!_

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Katsuki's scream of agony as his hand was broken was heard all around the stadium. Their parents and friends cringed at what Izuku had just done to Katsuki, using his power. The Shiketsu and Third Year UA students watching from their television also cringed at what just happened.

As soon as he felt the energy releasing him, Katsuki backed away from Izuku, cradling his now purplish-colored hand, flinching when he looked at him.

The boy's usually green eyes were now shining like radioactive material, clearly angry if the shape of his face was a sign. And, all of a sudden, he was surrounded by green lightning and energy.

Katsuki had to be honest. When he was enraged like this, Izuku was _scary_.

"Here I thought you were a smart guy, but now I realize you really are an idiot..."

"What... what did you say, you fucker?"

"I said..." Izuku charged at Katsuki. "YOU ARE AN IDIOT! **Super Sentai Assault!**"

The move based on the masked hero group was now unleashed on his former friend. The barrage of powerful punches and kicks turned into a no-holds-barred pummeling that Katsuki had no chance to avoid, and the ash blond felt each and every one of the hard blows sent by Izuku, before the last punch sent him into the middle of the ring.

Izuku glared at Katsuki, his fists clenched hard.

"You actually thought I looked down on you? That's what you actually believed all this time? You DUMBASS! You and I were friends, at least until you got your Quirk! Then you turned into a bully and went after anyone that struck your fancy! And even then, when I got my Quirk, I kept my distance! I did nothing that might ruin your chance to become a Pro Hero!" Izuku shouted as his green energy began to grow fiercer, his anger feeding into it, while Katsuki's eyes widened it shock at hearing him.

"I thought you were awesome, Bakugo. I wanted to see what you would become. That's why I kept going after you when we were kids! But then you turned on me, and I realized what heroes should actually be like! You have the talent, but you lack the traits of a hero, and your ideals are flawed! Heroes are supposed to save and protect people, not care about popularity or winning! Your anger issues and pride will be your downfall if you keep that pace up, and anything you do to me will never surpass my determination and desire to be the Symbol of Peace!"

At the stands, their parents and Toshinori were surprised: Inko, Mitsuki and Masaru were fully aware that their sons had not been friends for a long time, but it was now that they had finally learned the reasons behind the change.

"But you know what, alright then, Bakugo. Give me everything you got and show me that you have what it takes to be the Number One hero you claimed so many times would be in the future! Or unless you are too much of a weakling to do it..."

Katsuki began to shake and seethe in rage.

"Deku... I fucking hate you! You've angered me for the last time!"

Katsuki began to focus his sweat as smoke began to surround him as he started several small explosions to spin around like a tornado, picking up speed until he was ready.

"HERE I COME, DEKU! THIS IS EVERYTHING I HAVE! DON'T YOU DARE HOLD BACK!"

Rushing towards Izuku at the highest speed he could with his tornado of explosion, Katsuki prepared to detonate it on his former friend. But Izuku did not stay unmoving: instead, he rose his right hand towards Katsuki, ready to unleash his last attack for the fight, and as green energy and lightning surrounded him, he charged forward as well.

"This ends here, Bakugo... **GODZILLA...**"

"**HOWITZER IMPACT!**"

"**SMAAAAAAASH!**"

Both teenagers threw their arms forward at the same time, and their signature attacks collided in a huge explosion, so powerful that Midnight was blown away against the outer wall. The entire stadium was bathed in a bright flash while the audience was forced to take cover from the massive gusts of wind ripping around. The ring was consumed in an enormous tornado of smoke and light, and many of the attendants had to hold onto their seats to avoid being blown away.

Eventually, the light died down and the smoke cleared up. And when everyone noticed, they slowly looked back down onto the field... and what they saw caused their jaws to drop.

The entire ring had been destroyed, leaving nothing but rubble at the point.

Izuku was still standing, but he was clearly hit by the explosion: he was panting for air, half his shirt was burned off, and his body was littered with scratches, bruises and burn marks.

As for Katsuki, he was lying on the floor, by the edge of what had previously been a ring, rendered unconscious while he had several grave injuries across his body, most notably the mark on his chest where the last attack had hit him.

It took a moment for everyone to process what had just happened, while Midnight ran over to Katsuki's collapsed form to check on him. After nudging him a couple times and checking his pulse, she nodded, clearly content that he was just unconscious, and raised her whip.

"Bakugo Katsuki is unconscious! Midoriya Izuku advances to the Final!"

It was a few seconds later before a clap broke out from somewhere in the audience, sparking the entire crowd to join them until the whole stadium was applauding and cheering over the amazing fight that had just taken place.

In the stands, Ochaco, Momo, Itsuka and Mina were glad that Izuku had won in spite of his injuries , while Tenya clapped, glad that his friend had reached the last step. Elsewhere, Setsuna gave Izuku two thumbs up and Neito smirked as Katsuki had to be carried out to the infirmary on a stretcher by the paramedic bots.

The ones watching from the television like Nejire and Camie were also happy that the boy they're interested is okay and has won.

Inko became relieved that her son is alright with her hand over where her heart is while Toshinori smiled in pride at his successor's continuous victories. Mitsuki and Masaru left to go check on their son.

"**And, for the third consecutive time, Midoriya has proven why he is the top student of the year, advancing to the Final Match!**" Present Mic shouted, so on edge that he seemed to be about to fall off the edge of the booth.

Down at the ring, the Pro Hero Cementoss looked at the destruction caused by the duo and sighed.

"It's going to take me a while to rebuild the entire arena again," the slab-like man muttered as he started to summon the materials needed to carry out his task.

* * *

Katsuki slowly opened his eyes, his mind currently at a blank and with no idea of where he was right now, or how he had arrived there. All he could see now was a completely white ceiling, and when he finally remembered he immediately tried to sit up in a panic.

"DEKU! Where are you! I'm going to finish thi-"

The Explosion Quirk user stopped talking, hissing through a bout of pain, and the spike forced him to look around, noticing he was not in the fighting ring anymore: instead, he was taking up a bed in Recovery Girl's medical tent. Looking down, he saw his entire upper body was bandaged up, as was his forehead.

"Oh, so you're up? That was a lot sooner than I expected."

Turning his head, he saw Recovery Girl sitting on a chair as she patched up his father, while his mother was sitting right next to him.

The two of them turned around and perked up when they saw their son was already awake – and staring at them. They immediately smiled.

"Hey there, brat! You really recovered fast, didn't you? I hope Inko-chan's boy didn't give you anything permanent."

Katsuki gasped.

'_Wait a minute! What happened in the match?_'

It was then that everything started to come back to him: they had just had a big clash as Deku had shouted one of those stupid names he gave to his attacks, and then, in a blink of an eye, everything had been pain before it all went black.

He looked straight at his parents, as he felt the shakes going out of his control.

"D-D-Did I... lose?"

He already knew the answer to the question, but he still wanted somebody, anybody, to say otherwise, that he had somehow managed to turn the tables: anything to avoid facing reality.

His parents looked at each other before Masaru looked back at him.

"I'm sorry, son. Inko's boy won the fight – he'll be in the final match."

A spike of sadness shuddered through his core. It had been bad enough when he lost to Deku in their second day – but now he had not only lost again, but he had proved to the entire world that he was, in fact, superior to Katsuki. He had embarrassed him on national television and in front of his parents.

Tears began to form in his eyes as he looked at his parents.

"J-Just get it over with."

"Get what over with? What are you talking about, brat?" Mitsuki asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Katsuki gritted his teeth in anger.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! Don't fucking patronize me, I've been humiliated bad enough as it is! I'm talking about what I did in that match! You two came here to say how disappointed and mad you are with me, didn't you? Well then, hurry up and say it, goddamn it!"

Katsuki could not hold the tears off anymore as they began to trail down his cheeks, thinking that his parents were about to throw salt into his wounds – but then he got something he had not expected.

Two pairs of arms wrapping around him, and one hand stroking his hair.

Something he did not deserve, but that he really needed.

He turned around and returned the hug. And, while he would never admit it out loud and they would not tell anyone if he did not want them to, they felt hot tears hit their shoulders and spread across their clothes.

"It's alright, son, it's alright."

Recovery Girl left the place, smiling at the family as the son got through the pain he had self-inflicted.

The three sat without speaking, the only sounds being the occasional sniff coming from the teenager and what filtered from the outside, as Mitsuki kept rubbing her son's back.

"... hey, mom, dad."

"Yes, Katsuki?"

"Can I... tell you something?"

"What is it?"

"I... I really messed up. I did a lot of bad stuff after I got my Quirk. I threw away a good friend. I hurt people really bad for a long time."

"We know... and we forgive you."

"What?" Katsuki asked, in shock, looking up at his parents.

"I said we forgive you, brat."

"B... Why? How?"

"Look, we realized that we have failed as parents in a lot of places, especially when it came down to teach you the difference between right and wrong. But, after hearing what Izuku said, I think it's time we take action to help you find the right path to become a true top hero, Katsuki..." Mitsuki replied, and Katsuki could sense that she was being genuine.

"It's good that you told us about your past actions, because we can see that this now is tearing you apart after your humbling loss to Inko's boy, and you now being upfront with it can only help you more," Masaru said.

"Tell me, kid, you still want to be a hero, right?" Mitsuki asked. The question was rhetorical, but Katsuki still looked down in sadness.

"How can I call myself a hero... after everything I did to him?"

"Maybe you can't call your past self a hero. But the 'you' you create from this point on can be. You can move past this and make amends for everything you did. And, if Izuku wants nothing to do with you... then you need to accept that. You already have the brains and the brawn to be a hero," Mitsuki continued, gently pressing a finger on his bandaged chest. "You just need the heart for it. Without it, you won't be going anywhere. Remember that you are Katsuki fucking Bakugou. You don't wallow in anything: you take life by the fucking reins, bitch slap it and tell it how things are going to go down. We may not have helped you develop proper morals, but we are still in time to fix that mistake."

Katsuki let out a small chuckle.

"Nah, you taught me to be confident and not to take things lying down. I may have taken that way too far."

"Oh, so you're the self-blaming type now, huh?" Mitsuki asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Fuck off, old hag."

"Fuck you too, brat."

Both phrases were common to them and vulgar, but they both knew there was no real malice behind them. Masaru couldn't help but smile at his family's banter.

"We know you tend to be a loner with a lot of things, son," he said, messing with his hair, "but you have to remember that there are people love you. Izuku was pretty much attached to your hip when you were kids, but then you grew up and lost the connection. You can't take the people who care about you for granted, or you'll lose them forever... but you won't lose us."

Katsuki grumbled, but he knew he would not get out of it, and Mitsuki kissed his forehead.

"We are going to set up some mandatory counseling and therapy so you can start accepting that you aren't the center of the world... but if we hear you are acting out of line again and you don't shape up your attitude, we are pulling you off from U.A., OK?" Katsuki just grunted again, and Mitsuki knew he had understood. "We're only doing this because we love you too much, brat."

"Grrgh."

"What was that?"

"I lergh ya t-..."

"I don't think we heard that."

"..."

"Say you fucking love us, brat."

"Alright! I fucking love you two? Happy?"

"Extremely. Now, better get some rest, and when Recovery Girl gives you the OK, join your classmates so you can watch the rest of the tournament."

With one last hug, the two parents got up and headed for the door, letting Recovery Girl come back in, but before they did Mitsuki stopped.

"By the way, brat, Izuku came by earlier to check up on you."

Katsuki was surprised to hear that, and turned to the nurse, who nodded.

"The boy was really worried about your injuries, especially since you had really been going at it. He used his Quirk to enhance mine and make sure your recovery went much quicker than the usual. You may have several scars left, but nothing that rest and time won't heal."

'_Looks like there was no flaw in your judgement when you chose your successor, Toshinori,_' Chiyo thought, smiling, as the Bakugos left and Katsuki laid down again on the cot, thinking over the conversation. He knew he had a lot to say to his former friend... but first he would have to check if he could look at himself in the mirror first.

'_Deku has really... surpassed me..._'

Words he never thought he'd say, and yet they were true all the same.

* * *

"Alright, it's back in place," Cementoss told Midnight when he finally was done rebuilding the ring. Midnight nodded and made a sign that Present Mic caught.

"**Good news, listeners! The arena's been rebuilt, so now we can finally start the second match of the semifinals!**"

The crowd cheered again, expecting the match between Itsuka and Shoto – whose faces were being shown in the jumbotron – as the previous one. And when the two combatants walked out to the new ring, they immediately stared at each other.

"**And here they are! On one side, the only remaining student from Class 1-B, who has held to the position with her iron fists! It's Kendo Itsuka! And, on the other side, the ice-cold prodigy of Class 1-A – Todoroki Shoto!**"

'_I am outmatched by Todoroki, but I'm going to make sure this fight isn't as easy as the previous ones,_' Itsuka told herself. She was not going to back down any time soon, much less before the son of Endeavor, who was coldly staring at her.

"Ready..." Midnight said, looking at the two students as they got into their fighting stances. "BEGIN!"

Like in previous matches, Shoto began by throwing a freezing attack towards Itsuka, but she managed to dodge it right on time and started to sprint towards Shoto's right.

The young man then froze the ground in that direction by touching his hand to the floor, trapping Itsuka between two waves of ice. He tried to capitalize on it with another freezing attack, but this time Itsuka managed to avoid it by jumping just above the crest of the wave, and while in mid-air she enlarged her fists and launched her attack.

"**Double Jumbo Fists!**"

Shoto attempted to bring up an ice wall to protect himself: the attack managed to break it before it could fully form, but it still protected Shoto. However, Itsuka then managed to follow up with another enlarged punch, one that did strike Shoto and slammed him into the ground, causing the people to gasp. From his position on the ground, Shoto tried to freeze the ground. Itsuka leapt over the ice and attempted to counter, only to be blinded by an ice wave he had already launched into the air, causing her to crash to the ground.

"You are always jumping over ground attacks, so I decided to change tactics," Shoto said as Itsuka got up, even while covered in ice. He froze the ground, and this time Itsuka was unable to jump over, leaving her stuck as Shoto ran forward and grabbed her arm. Itsuka tried to enlarge her fists to break free, but this time the ice out-sped her Quirk activation, leaving her unable to move as her body was left encased in ice.

Midnight whipped the ground.

"Kendo Itsuka is immobilized! Todoroki Shoto advances to the Final!"

People cheered at the end of the combat, which had been much shorter than the previous one but still interesting, as Shoto melted the ice covering Itsuka.

"I'm sorry," he told the shivering girl, who was immediately set upon by the medics, "but I have to prove myself."

"**Kendo held her ground for much longer than anyone, but still Todoroki managed to freeze her advances!**" Present Mic stated, not very surprised about the fight's outcome.

Izuku watched the medics take Itsuka towards the medical tent, worried about his friend.

'_She never stood a chance either, did she? At least she did better than anyone else._'

That was when he felt a cold glare focused on him. Turning, he saw Todoroki focusing his gaze on him, and as their eyes met, it was easy for Izuku to see what Shoto wanted to convey through his stare.

_You're next._

Izuku stared back, undeterred at all as he mentally prepared himself for the fight to come.

In Class 1-B's stands, Itsuka's classmates commented on the fight.

"Man... Todoroki is sure intimidating! Itsuka-chan did everything right, held her own, and he still finished her without barely flinching. How can someone so young have so much power at will? And now it's Izuku-kun's turn," Setsuna said, hoping her friend would not get frostbite. Neito nodded in agreement.

"He is the son of a Pro, clearly he trained with him. And, from what I can tell, he has only been using his right side the entire Festival. One has to wonder what he can do with the left."

His classmates shuddered at the thought.

At the teachers' stands, their homeroom teacher was having a different argument.

"Damn it! Aizawa always gets the students with the most powerful Quirks! It's so unfair! Those kids are monsters!" Vlad King muttered in frustration: out of all tournament competitors, only a quarter of them were from his class, and only one of them had made it past the first round – and she had still been overmatched in the fight she lost.

The Pro Heroes were also commenting on the tournament.

"This year's First years are certainly impressive, no matter who wins in the end," one of them said.

"Well, I know now that the draft is going to be exciting this year," his partner commented. Just as he was talking, the jumbotron started to display Izuku and Shoto's faces, beginning to hype up the crowd in anticipation for what was clearly going to be an amazing fight.

"Kirishima-san, who do you think is going to win this match?" Denki asked the red-haired boy. "Midoriya or Todoroki?"

"I don't know, it's hard to tell though from what I've saw."

"You'll see soon enough." Everyone turned their heads to see Izuku standing behind them, smiling. To the girls' relief, it seemed like he had been fully healed from his fight with Bakugo. "Bakugo should be here soon, so don't give him a hard time. And it looks like Todoroki doesn't intend to play around, so I better go get ready, because he isn't a pushover!"

"Good luck, Izuku-kun!"

"Good luck, Dekiru-kun!"

"Good luck, Midori-kun!"

Momo, Ochaco and Mina spoke simultaneously, smiling at him, as the rest also wished him luck.

"Best of luck to you in your final match against Todoroki," Tenya stated. "When I worked with him during the Cavalry Battle, I could tell he would be a formidable opponent, and what I have seen has proven it!"

"Thank you, Tenya-san!"

Suddenly, Tenya started to shake.

"Woah, what's that?" Ochaco asked, surprised.

"Oh, that's my phone," he replied as he took it out of his pocket. While the others gazed at him over how strong the thing vibrated, Tenya checked the caller ID. "Excuse me, it's a personal call."

Leaving the stands, Tenya found his way to a private spot and picked up the phone.

"Mother? Regretfully, I lost, mother. I was weak..."

"No, it's not about that." Tenya could immediately tell something was wrong: his mother's voice was trembling and on the verge of crying. "Oh, sorry, Tenya. Tensei... your brother... a villain got him."

Tenya felt his face pale as he understood what he had heard.

"W-What?"

* * *

"Fame... money... they are all calling themselves 'heroes'..."

In the height of a building, a figure observed the mark of dark red on the ground, the remains of the pool of blood on which the Pro Hero Ingenium had laid down. From where he was, his blood red eyes could see the pieces of the mobile phone he had crushed during the fight.

"But they are not heroes... just him... the only one I'll let kill me..."

His sword, which minutes before had been dripping blood from the edges, was now clean and sheathed, and a red scarf and headband reflected the moonlight on the shadowed figure.

"... is All Might!"

He licked the inside of his mouth, remembering the bitter taste of his latest victim's blood.

"You haven't even noticed this warped society, covered with hypocrisy and vanity. To all who are called Heroes... I will make you notice."

That was when he heard a swirling sound coming from behind, and he immediately reacted, quicker than the normal human could: his blade poked through a purple portal piercing the air.

"Please, remain calm. We are of the same mind. I have been looking for you, Hero Killer Stain. Given your notoriety, you can imagine why I wanted to meet you. May I have a moment of your time?"

* * *

"What happened to Tenya-kun?" Ochaco asked. He had yet to return after receiving that call.

"I... don't know," Izuku replied. He was starting a very bad feeling about it, because he was sure only something bad would have kept his friend away, just as he was about to leave. He hoped he was wrong.

Before he could leave, though, he was stopped by none other than Katsuki, bandaged up and with a serious look in his face.

"What is it, Bakugo?" Izuku asked.

Katsuki took a deep breath: he only had three very important to say this time.

"Kick. His. Ass."

Surprised by the sudden support, Izuku smiled and nodded with confidence.

"I will."

* * *

Endeavor found himself leaning against the wall, but his mind was not on his youngest son's latest fight: instead, it was on the young Midoriya's words.

For years, he had desired to be better than All Might, but unable to. He had then gone to follow through his other plan: he had married Rei so he could have a child that would inherit both his and her Quirks. He had planned every step of the training he would give every child that came along.

But then... he had become obsessed. He had disregarded his elder daughter Fuyumi and his two elder sons, Toya and Natsuo, because they had only gained his Quirk or neither, so he thought them mistakes, he thought they did not need his attention. He had got what he wished in Shoto... and he had then turned worse. He had subjected him to a training regime that had left him begging to stop when his body was so beaten and bruised he could hardly move from where he was.

He remembers watching as his wife was taken by orderlies, wrapped in a straitjacket. She had just injured Shoto... and too late had he realized that it was his fault that she was this way. He remembers walking past a citizen who was begging to be saved, but he had ignored them in favor of capturing the villain... and later he had learned the civilian and the other person with him had died while he was arresting the villain.

Too many deeds where his avarice and his pride had led him to make choices that he had not realized were actually keeping away from his goal. All the pain he had caused, both to his family and to the people, for the sake of being the top hero... all combined into the worst error he had ever made.

"**Endeavor, it is good to see you again,**" a known voice said, getting him out of his thoughts.

"All Might..." he replied.

"**Your son has reached the final match. He has proven to be an excellent student. You must be proud of him.**"

"I am. And... I have questions, All Might."

"**What would they be?**"

"Are you really... considering retirement?"

All Might raised an eyebrow.

"**Well... I am not getting any younger, and it has been on my mind for quite some time now. But... what has brought this up?**"

"I want you to be honest with me," Endeavor said, looking away. "What do you really think of me?"

"**You are a great hero. You have many achievements to your name, all well earned,**" All Might replied with a serious expression. "**But, after hearing what you said earlier, regarding your son... it told me what you saw your own family as.**"

"What?" Endeavor said, looking back at All Might with a shocked expression.

"**I'm fully aware of you considering me your rival, and, honestly... I never understood why. You were trying so hard to be like me when you should have been trying to do things your own way. And, using your own family to further your ambitions... it's not the right way to become a great hero. A true hero is the one that tries to be people's hope and a warning sign to villains. Just think about what you have been doing to your family... all for the sake of a title.**" He began to walk past the other hero, now looking down on the floor, but he stopped for a moment before placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "**Even if you start to regret it, attempt to atone for what you have done, remember that it will take a long time before your family starts to forgive you. So I hope you are ready for that.**"

And then All Might left, leaving his fellow Pro Hero to his own thoughts.

* * *

After 25 minutes of waiting, the flames in the corners of the ring ignited. When the crowd saw the flames, they immediately began to cheer as their excitement took over. They knew exactly what time it was: it was time for the final battle of the First Year tournament.

"**Thanks for waiting, everyone! This is it! The match we have all been waiting for is now set to start... the Final Event of this day of the Festival! The Big Match!**" Present Mic announced, and the cheering became louder as Izuku and Shoto stepped into the ring. "**On one side, the man who has won all his matches with complete domination, literally leaving the audience frozen: TODOROKI SHOTO! And, on the other side, one of the most spectacular fighters we've seen in years, capable of pulling victory even after suffering so many vicious strikes. It is MIDORIYA IZUKU!**"

Shoto sent a cold glare at his rival, who returned it back without an issue. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, and everyone, even those who were watching from their homes, could feel both the tension and the goosebumps from seeing both teens glare at each other.

Up in the bleachers, Itsuka, finally recovered from her cold bout, was back with her classmates, intent on cheering on her friend as loud as possible.

For Class 1-A, the tension was at a similar level, as their most powerful classmates were about to duke it out to see who came out on top.

"It's going to start... man, this is going to be intense! So much firepower, standing in that ring," Eijiro exclaimed as sweat trailed down his face from the excitement.

"This must be meant to be..." Hitoshi added.

"Yes... this battle will settle who is the best Freshman in U.A.," Momo said, smiling down at the boy she liked, before looking at her rival. "What do you think of this match, Ochaco-chan?"

"It's going to be tough... but I know that Dekiru-kun can do it!" Ochaco shouted, raising her arms and cheering on her friend-slash-crush. "It's going to depend on whether he manages to close in on Todoroki."

"Yeah, but... what is Midori-kun going to do with the ice?" Mina asked.

"Damn, those two are really strong! Pity you weren't able to make it there, Bakugo!" Denki slyly said. Katsuki twitched in anger, but quickly calmed down.

"Shut up, Sparks, I'm trying to enjoy the fight!"

Everybody in hearing range almost fell out of their chairs.

"Hell's frozen over! Bakugo is being POLITE!" Denki cried out, mirroring everyone else's thoughts. Katsuki rolled his eyes.

"Making it to the final is one thing... but winning, going all the way and getting the job done, is an entirely different matter. So it doesn't matter who made it there, but who wins and the result. We are gonna see the difference between first and second place, so better pay fucking attention or you'll miss the best part!"

* * *

Down at the ring, Shoto kept glaring at Izuku.

"So, you're here at last."

"Of course I am. You told me you would be waiting for me in the final, so I couldn't disappoint."

Shoto narrowed his eyes.

"I also told you to prepare yourself, that I would be waiting for you to deliver on your promise. So, do you still plan to stay true to your word?"

"No doubt about it. I never go back on my word, it's what I live by," Izuku replied, balling his fists and taking a deep breath. "I hope you have the energy to last in this fight!"

Shoto's glare became colder, as he considered how Izuku had made him look like a fool in the first stages of the Sports Festival: he would not let him do the same again, not in front of his father. He would beat Izuku, fair and square, using only his mother's power, and prove he did not need Endeavor's to win.

* * *

"_Watch carefully and prepare, Shigaraki Tomura,_" a deep voice resounded through the loudspeakers. "_They may become obstacles to you one day... and you will eventually have to face them in battle._"

Shigaraki scratched his neck in irritation, as he saw the confident smile of the boy who had killed his perfect weapon.

"You spikey brat... I'll make you pay for humiliating me and what you did to my Nomu!"

* * *

Back at the stands, Inko was crying her eyes out, overjoyed at seeing her son about to compete in the final match.

"DO YOUR BEST, IZUKU!"

"Geez, Inko-chan, it's the seventh time you've cried your hearts out," Mitsuki playfully teased her friend as she and her husband did their best to calm her down, all but force-feeding her a bottle of water. She really did not want her to dehydrate herself, something that had happened several times in the past.

Meanwhile, Toshinori was watching at the two teenagers and the determination to win in their eyes.

'_Do your best, young Midoriya! I know you can win. After all the hard work you have gone through, I'll be proud of you, no matter what!_'

Everyone, from the heroes helping with security to Omocha in the Bandai headquarters, kept their eyes glued to the fighting stage.

"**Who will come at top in this fight between titans? Soon, we will know!**" Present Mic shouted, as Izuku wrapped up his stretches and the two teenagers got into their fighting stances.

"Ready..." Midnight said, as the crowd went down to a lull, and she raised her whip. "START!"

Her whip came down, and the shouting started.

"GO!" Shoto cried out as he launched an attack straight towards Izuku, covering the distance between them with ice.

"**King Kong Smash!**" Izuku replied, flicking his finger. The shockwave tore through Shoto's offensive, cracking the ice and turning it into shards with such power that people in the stands shielded their faces.

"Just the wind is this cold?" one of them cried out.

Shoto had also been affected by the shockwave and had covered his face, but as soon as he heard Izuku he had created a wall behind himself to avoid being pushed back. When the wind came down, he unshielded his face.

'_Just as I expected, he was prepared to negate my first attack. I cannot let him use his power as he likes – if he lands a direct hit on me at full power, I'm done for. I must keep him away if I want to preserve my advantage,_' Shoto thought, as Izuku waited for him to make the next move.

"**WOW! That attack took out all of Todoroki's rivals, and Midoriya stopped it like it was nothing!**"

'_A good opening! He did not know how powerful young Todoroki's first attack would be, so he fired a 15% Smash just to push him back!_' Toshinori thought, cheering on his successor.

"Guess that move wasn't going to work on Izuku." Mitsuki pointed with Masaru and Inko agreeing with her.

"That was so awesome!" Nejire said, excited, from her place with her friends.

"It's all in that energy Quirk Midoriya has, it makes him stronger, able to do whatever he can to make sure the ice doesn't come near him," Mirio replied, having noticed the green shine over Izuku's arms.

The Shiketsu students were also amazed at that initial move.

"You can see from his reaction, he's got no fear. He's determined to win this," Seiji said.

"I'm surprised Midoriya is not shivering from totes cold air, they're getting," Camie said. Next to her, Inasa looked at the television with a serious face.

'_Come on, Midoriya, beat Endeavor's son, I want his father to be embarrassed,_' he thought, clenching his fist.

At the bleachers, the students were still reeling at how effortlessly Izuku had destroyed Shoto's first attack.

"It took Dekiru-kun no effort to repel the first attack," Ochaco said in awe.

"You think he'll use his left side?" Mina asked.

"Maybe... he will try to force Todoroki-san to use his left side," Momo suggested. "It's only a matter of time before it happens. Trust me, Izuku-kun has a plan in hand."

"I hope you are right," Ochaco said.

"Heads up, Midoriya! He's doing it again!" Tetsutetsu yelled as Shoto fired off another ice attack, which Izuku dispelled by flicking his fingers again: having gauged the power behind them earlier, he only used a 10% of One for All, reducing the taxing to his body.

"Again?" Izuku asked, unimpressed.

'_Damn..._' Shoto thought, annoyed, as Izuku stared back at him impassively – almost as if he was letting him know he was going to have to do much better than that.

'_Todoroki-san always ended his fights in an instant, so I don't have much on him, but given how he has been fighting, he's clearly playing the long-range game with me. Since I have him beat on hand to hand fighting, he'll try to keep me away to make it harder to hit him with a Smash, and as long as he keeps that ice wall I won't be able to blow him away. My best bet is to only use energy moves and keep the pressure on him until I overwhelm him... and force him to use his left side!_' Izuku thought, planning. He already knew what he had to do. Now, it was just a matter of whether Shoto would listen or not.

"You're..." he tried to say, but Todoroki send out another ice attack, which he just blew through with a King Kong Smash. "We can do this all day, Todoroki! Keep'em coming!"

"Man, they can shoot off powerful attacks that cover a lot of ground, like BAM!" Eijiro shouted.

"And they can do it with no time lag!" Hanta added.

"They are not just shooting off," Katsuki replied.

"Huh?"

"You overuse your muscles, the fibers tear. You keep running, you'll run out of breath. There's a limit to how much power I can produce, too – that's why I designed my costume so I could fire blasts more powerful than what my body allows. Those two have power, but they must also have some kind of limit," the explosive boy stated, having noticed how Todoroki was being forced back with every blast of energy.

"Huh, makes sense. Then again, against instant-killer Todoroki, Midoriya wants..." Eijiro trailed off.

"... an endurance match, huh?" Shoto unknowingly finished the thought, as he looked behind him and noticed he was getting close to the edge of the ring. All those blasts had forced him back, and now he had to find a way to regain the lost ground.

"Oh, I got it!" Denki shouted, bumping his fist onto his palm. "Midoriya is trying to outlast Todoroki, and when he's gassed out, Midoriya can just go in for the win!"

"Yeah, but Half-n-half has noticed where he is, and he knows that if he doesn't move now, the match will be over," Katsuki stated with confidence.

Shoto sucked his teeth in.

"Fine, then, I'll end this quickly!" he shouted, sending another ice attack, this time faster than the previous ones. Izuku quickly smashed through the attack with another flicker, but Shoto used that as a distraction to side step to his left and close in on Izuku.

"**Todoroki not only doesn't recoil from Midoriya's power, but he gets closer!**"

"Is he trying to trap Midoriya-san in the ice? Ribbit?" Tsuyu wondered as Shoto made an ice path and slid up.

"If Midoriya-san doesn't find a way to get out, he'll be in big trouble," Hiryu stated.

"Not good, not good at all!" Setsuna yelled.

"Seriously! I don't even have to move my feet to tear through your defense!" Izuku exclaimed, shooting another King Kong Smash at the ice path, but Shoto jumped up before he could get hit, and, as he came down, he aimed an ice-covered punch towards Izuku's head. However, Izuku saw the attack coming from a mile away and easily dodged.

"Oh, so you have decided to close the gap! Getting a little confident, huh? Let's see if you can deal with me in close-ranged combat!" Izuku shouted, this time throwing a **Gamera Smash** towards Shoto. The shockwave was greater than the previous attacks, so much that it blew Shoto several meters away: he had been able to protect himself from the full brunt of the attack, but he flew so far that only another ice wall prevented him from falling out of bounds.

"That was more powerful than the previous one. Are you trying to keep me away?" Todoroki asked, confused. He was breathing out frost, which he knew was not a good sign, but at least he had yet to suffer any injuries from a direct attack.

"Is there anything Midoriya-san can do?" Shoda asked his classmates.

"He broke through every ice attack like a badass. He could just go for the finisher if he wanted," Awase pointed out.

"Unless Midoriya-san is thinking something," Hiryu said. "He could have beaten him with that smash, but Todoroki-san is a smart opponent. He's the son of the Number Two Hero, after all."

"Oh, yeah, forgot about that," Tetsutetsu said.

"And he came through recommendation as well," Itsuka replied.

"But Midoriya-san will win, I am sure," Yui noted.

"I have to agree with Yui," Setsuna interjected.

As the two kept attacking, the power behind Shoto's attacks grew, and Izuku was forced to use more powerful attacks to deal with the ice.

'_It's not just his Quirk. His judgement, application skills, mobility... he's strong,_' Izuku thought, impressed, and the crowd clearly agreed.

"He's already better than the average Pro..."

"It's what you can get from the son of the Number Two Hero!"

Said hero, however, was not as impressed.

'_You're only crippling yourself, Shoto. Keep holding back and underestimating him, and it will come and bite you in the ass! Use your left side already, boy!_'

"You're keeping me at a distance, and you have yet to land a direct hit on me. You can't break through my ice defense!" Shoto shouted, trying to egg on Izuku so he would make a mistake that he could capitalize on.

Izuku was about to reply, but then stopped as he saw Shoto... shivering?

'_What..._' he thought, before he noticed the frost forming on Shoto's right arm. '_I think that's his limit, there is only so much ice he can use before his temperature begins to lower. If he keeps on not using his left side, he'll probably begin to suffer from hypothermia!_'

"By the way, thanks, Midoriya. That guy's face is clouded over, thanks to you," Shoto added, nodding towards his father. Izuku just gritted his teeth.

However, Shoto knew he was getting close to his limit: if he did not finish the fight soon, he would run out of power.

"Let's finish this!"

"**Todoroki keeps attacking with overwhelming power! Here comes the finishing ice attack!**"

In the second that passed between Shoto throwing his ice attack, this one larger than all the previous ones, and it reaching Izuku, everyone knew that the latter was in trouble: if he did not find a way to counter it, he would lose.

But then, Izuku glared at where Shoto was, and his hands were covered in intense green light.

"**SPECTREMAN CANNON!**"

A huge ball of destructive energy flew from his hands towards the ice, and when they touched the ice was... turned into vapor. Shoto only had a moment to react at how his most powerful attack had been denied in one shot before the explosive wave sent him stumbling backwards, and it was only another ice wall that saved him from defeat.

"No... way..." Ochaco whispered with a shocked face.

"Where the hell did Deku keep all that power?" Katsuki asked, surprised.

"Never seen anything like this," Itsuka said.

'_What is this, Izuku-kun?_' Momo thought, amazed.

The reactions among their classmates and the public, both present in the stadium or watching on their televisions, were similar. Destroying an ice wave so hard as to turn it into vapor was nothing short of impressive.

"Bastard..." Shoto mumbled as he struggled to stand up. He may have not been hit directly by the energy ball, but the explosion's area of effect was still enough to hurt him, and after hitting his back so many times on the ice it was starting to hurt him as well. "Such power... why are you going so far!"

"Your fight is with me, Todoroki, not with your father!" Izuku shouted back, angrily. "Stop looking at him and look at me! Don't you remember what I told you? You're shivering, Todoroki!"

Shoto tried not to react at Izuku noticing his weakness, but it was hard, considering how his energy was getting sapped by the cold.

"There's a limit to how much cold your body can take, isn't there? Something you could solve by using the heat from your left side. Everyone here has been fighting with everything they've got, to win and get closer to their dream... to become Number One... and you are here, using just half your power, JUST TO SPITE YOUR FATHER!" Izuku yelled, clearly furious, as his body was covered in green energy and lightning. "You are already at your limit with only your ice, you idiot, and you haven't even put a scratch on me! Give me a competitive fight! COME AT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, DAMN IT!"

'_Young Midoriya,_' Toshinori thought in awe. He could tell what was Izuku's plan, and was proud of him for doing this.

Inko had her hands covering her month at her son's outburst. The Bakugos had a shocked look on their faces.

Endeavor, too, was shocked. After their encounter earlier, he had not expected him to do this.

'_This kid..._' he thought.

"What are you planning... Midoriya? Everything I've got? Did my damn old man bribe you or something! Now I'm angry!" Shoto shouted, running straight at Izuku. Or trying to, at least: comparing that with the beginning of the fight, Izuku noticed something.

'_He's getting slower! All that frost on his body is also limiting his ability! Was the scale during his fight with Kirishima his upper limit?_'

"Oh, you're angry?" Izuku asked, charging up One for All at 5% and punching Shoto straight into his gut, hard enough that the dual-colored boy spat saliva, and the attack was followed by an uppercut that sent Shoto flying in the air.

As he landed, Shoto tried to regain his bearings: those two punches were the hardest he had felt in his life, and he was sure that uppercut had cracked his jaw.

'_What is Midoriya made of?_' Shoto thought, somewhat out of it.

"**A SOLID HIT!**" Present Mic shouted: after several minutes of combat, it was the first direct hit one of them had landed on the other.

* * *

The Shiketsu students were surprised by the power Izuku had just unleashed in the attack.

"Who would have thought that boy would have so much strength," Seiji said.

"Todoroki-san may use lots of ice but it's totes not working. Midoriya is so lit that he can just go for the win now," Camie said, although her comment was eclipsed by Inasa jumping from his seat.

"COME ON, MIDORIYA! KICK HIS ASS!" he yelled, surprising his friends.

"He was all silent throughout the festival, and now he's all fired up," Nagamasa whispered.

"Yeah, he seems to want Todoroki-san to lose, but why?"

* * *

"Guess what? I am angrier than you!" Izuku yelled as he flared his energy throughout the entire stadium: many people tumbled over because of the pressure.

Shoto managed to get back on his feet as he coughed.

"Why...?" he struggled to ask: that punch to the gut had hurt. Instead of talking, he decided to send some ice towards Izuku, but he summoned multiple energy balls that floated around him.

"**Ambassador Magma Meteor!**" he shouted, sending the energy balls flying at the ice which was vaporized.

"That ice isn't coming as fast as before, right?" Izuku asked. Shoto tried to reach Izuku and ice him at point blank range, but Izuku just fired another energy ball, sending him flying all the way back.

"Should we stop this, Midnight? Midoriya is getting reckless with Todoroki, he's been pushing him all over the ring when he could have finished the match already. If he keeps hurting him, Todoroki may end up with serious injuries," Cementoss asked Midnight through his earpiece as Izuku and Shoto kept going back and forth. However, Izuku was proving himself to be superior, as he just blasted all of Shoto's attacks before relentlessly countering with energy or close combat attacks.

At one point, one of Izuku's attacks nearly sent Shoto out of bounds, but much to everyone's shock, Izuku brought out his Blackwhip and brought him back into the ring before he could touch the ground.

"You want to know why I am angry?" He said as the black tendrils retreated. "Look at yourself! I'm beating you all over the stage and still you refuse to go all out! You are getting weaker with each attack! You are just hurting yourself at this point! Use your left side, so we can start fighting for real!"

Shoto struggled to get back up. It was getting harder to move and breathe, the cold becoming too much for him to deal with.

"W-why are you g-going so far?"

"Because I want to live up to everyone's expectations."

"Wha?" Shoto asked.

"I want to be able to smile at them. Respond to them. Be a great Hero. That's what I want to be!"

_"Shoto..."_

Shoto shook his head: for a second, he had heard his mother's voice.

"That's why I'm angry." Izuku punched Shoto in the chest, sending him rolling on the floor. "Everyone I've faced so far has been giving their all! There's no way I can know all of your circumstances or your resolve... but you would not give your all just to spite your father... right now, I think that you should grow up and stop acting like a spoiled brat who thinks he's entitled to everything!"

Shoto shakily stood up: Izuku's words were dredging up some of his worst memories. The harsh training sessions with his father. How he abused his family. He started to create more ice to cover his right hand and leg, but he knew he was starting to push it.

"Shut... up..." he shakily said.

_"I don't wanna, Mom... I... I... I don't want to be like Dad! I don't want to become someone who hurts you!_

_"But you want to be a Hero, don't you? It's alright for you to be one. As long as you have something to look forward to, you will do well._

"That's why I will win!" Izuku declared.

"Why the hell do you care about what I do with my life?" Shoto shouted, ice erupting from his right side.

"Because you can be a great Hero! You are a great fighter! You have talent, power! And instead of using them, you are not giving your all, when you could do so much more!"

"Why does any of that matter to you?"

Shoto knew that Izuku was getting angrier, but he did not care. Still, the answer shocked him.

"BECAUSE IT'S A WASTE OF LIFE!"

_He was five. He was watching Toya and Natsuo playing outside. But before he could try to join them, his father grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away._

_"Don't look at that, Shoto. They are from a different world than you."_

Shoto shook as he stumbled on his worst memory.

_"Mom, I'm going crazy... I can't talk anymore. Every day, the kids become more like him... and Shoto... his left side reminds me of his devil father... I can't raise him anymore... I feel like I shouldn't..."_

_"M... Mom?"_

_The next he knew, his mother had grabbed the pot of boiling water..._

"I..."

_"Where's Mom?"_

_"She injured my masterpiece. I put her in a mental hospital for her own good."_

_"This is all your fault, you know, you're the one that made Mom like that..."_

He gasped, trying not to start tearing up.

_"I will never use the old man's power..."_

"Dammit, Todoroki, it's your power, not his!"

"Huh?" Shoto gasped, shocked out of his thoughts once more.

"How do you think I gained this power? It wasn't by lifting weights. It was because I lifted myself back up every single damn time I was knocked down! I worked hard to be where I am today! Don't you dare disrespect all of my hard work by not even showing me your hundred percent!" He looked straight into the heterochromatic eyes. "You want to be a Hero, right? Well, what would your own mother say if she saw you right now?"

Shoto shook again.

"BE THE HERO SHE WANTED YOU TO BE!"

_"Yes, it is true that children can inherit Quirks from their parents... but the really important thing is not that connection, but recognizing your own flesh and blood – recognizing yourself. That's what I mean when I say I AM HERE! You see?" All Might said on the television as he gave a thumbs up. "But you want to be a Hero, don't you? It's OK for you to be one. You don't have to be a prisoner of your blood, but you can become who you want to be..."_

Suddenly, a flame sprung out from Shoto's left hand. It was small... but it was there.

And then the flames covered his entire left side, lighting up the fighting stage in a majestic dance of tongues, free to burn whatever they desired.

It had taken a long time... but Shoto Todoroki had finally found himself.

"**Th-This is...**" Present Mic stuttered in shock, pretty much the only one speaking in the entire stadium. The reactions from the spectators took only a moment to happen.

"He's actually using his fire?" Ochaco asked.

"He is," Momo replied, smiling. "Izuku-kun knew Todoroki-san would not become the hero he wants to be without it... so he finally convinced him to use his left side."

"That was the manliest thing I've ever seen!" Eijiro exclaimed, comically crying.

"Midori-kun will still win this, though," Mina predicted.

Katsuki remained silent, amazed. Even he had to admit that he wasn't expecting Shoto's flames to be so powerful. It hurt him to admit it, but if he had faced him in the final like he had hoped, he would have lost.

Inko, Mitsuki, and Masaru shared the same reaction like all the others at what they're witnessing right now.

'_You made him use his left side. Even though you want to win, you still did your best to save young Todoroki?_' Toshinori thought. He had seen through Izuku's plan, but now he knew that Shoto had closed the gap in power between them. Now, he just hoped Izuku had some sort of backup plan, because it seemed to have turned on him.

Izuku just gazed with wonder at the bright orange flames coming out of Shoto, like the flames of a phoenix... but soon the expression was replaced with a confident smirk.

"What's so funny?" Shoto asked as he felt his body temperature rising. Already, all the ice on his right side had melted, and he was regaining the feeling in his extremities. "You do realize what you have done, right? You want to win, but still you helped your enemy. Which one of us is screwing around now?"

Endeavor was on cloud nine.

"SHOTO!" He yelled out, the flames igniting around him. He was so loud, he caught everyone's attention. "You've finally accepted yourself! Good! I know you will surpass me! And, Midoriya, thank you for motivating my son! I knew you could do it!"

"**Endeavor suddenly shouting encouragement... such a doting father!**" Present Mic said, and no one knew how to react about that.

* * *

"MIDORIYA!" Inasa yelled, spooking his classmates. "COME ON, FINISH HIM OFF! DO IT! BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF HIM! WIPE THAT SMILE OUT OF ENDEAVOR'S FACE!"

* * *

For a second, Izuku thought he heard someone shouting at him to beat Shoto, but it was probably his imagination, so he shook it out while considering the adjusts he would have to make to his notes.

"No, Todoroki, there's nothing funny. I'm smiling because I am happy. Happy I could help you find the best version of yourself, and now you can become the best Hero you can be!"

Shoto smiled, slightly surprised, and shook his head.

"You're crazy, Midoriya... but in a good way. This is still an official match, though, and I don't plan on losing, so don't blame me for what happens next. You had plenty of chances to win, so you've brought this upon yourself."

Izuku just powered up both Superpower and One for All, grinning all the time.

"I'm ready, Todoroki! Come at me with all you got!"

"I aim to win and become the Number One!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way!"

In the commentators' box, Aizawa smirked.

"**The real battle starts now.**"

Izuku was panting now... but he was still smiling.

"Let's finish this, Todoroki!"

"It will be my pleasure!"

While Shoto gathered all of his remaining strength into one attack, Izuku crossed his glowing arms before retracting them back, green energy particles surrounding him.

"**Ultraman...**"

Cementoss began to use his Quirk.

"Midnight, we have to intervene! If they keep going it'll be bad-"

Midnight ripped off her right sleeve, purple smoke beginning to form out of it.

"Their bodies won't hold up!"

Shoto fired everything he had left in his body.

"Thank you... Izuku," he whispered with a smile.

"**BEAM!**" Izuku finished, forming his arms in an L-style as he fired an enhanced dark green energy beam.

Cementoss and Midnight tried to negate the two ultimate moves from clashing... but it just wasn't enough. The purple sleeping mist did not even make it to the two teenage heroes-in-training, and the concrete barriers separating them were destroyed – and then the resulting clash between attacks caused a large explosion that could be heard all over the city, as a mushroom cloud rose above the stadium – a shock to all that had just witnessed the event.

Cold, strong wind started to gush all over the stadium: everyone did their best to shield themselves from the wind, but it was so strong that everyone who was on their feet was sent to their feet.

"Hell, yeah!" Mitsuki shouted as she clung to her husband, in order to avoid being flown away. Fortunately, Masaru had managed to grab onto his chair, and the chair held.

Meanwhile, Inko held onto Toshinori, who had no trouble withstanding the shockwave, merely shifting his arms around Inko to help keep her in place: he did not have to grab the wall to keep in place or lift his hand to block out the wind. Inko guessed that he was probably used to such large scale attacks, given that he was a hero trainer... but something in her mind told her otherwise. Rather than saying anything, Inko chose to tuck her head deeper into Toshinori's chest.

In the stands, Hanta had to use his Quirk to save Denki from flying off while Itsuka used her enlarged fists to shield her classmates from the windstage. They had known their classmates were powerful, but this was insane!

It was a minute before the winds finally calmed down. The whole stadium was completely silent, stunned at the power being used. Endeavor was grinning after seeing his son finally using his left side, the proof of which being the smoke cloud floating above the ring, waiting to be cleared.

"Just because someone is powerful doesn't mean it's a good thing," Cementoss rumbled as he stood back up. "But, seriously... those children are impressive."

In the booth, Present Mic had fallen backwards on his seat, his feet in the air, even though the booth was protected against the explosion.

"**What was that madness just now? What the heck is up with your class?**" he asked, stunned.

"**Todoroki had already thoroughly cooled the air, and the infusion of heat by both of their attacks caused the air to heat up and expand faster than normal,**" Aizawa calmly replied.

"**That's what created this explosion? How hot was all that? Ugh, I can't see a thing. Can you see who won?**" Present Mic complained, a thought shared with many of the spectators.

"I can't see anything," Momo said, trying to look through the smoke. '_Please, Izuku-kun, tell me you won!_'

Midnight finally managed to pick herself up from the rubble: the shockwave had thrown her off her platform, and her domino mask had dropped from her face in the confusion, but that was not important right now: instead, she needed to see past what clouded her vision.

Fortunately, it did not take too long for the smoke to finally clear up, and in the sepulchral silence that pervaded the stadium, the result was shown.

Izuku was taking a knee, his head down and his uncovered chest – the upper half of his PE uniform had torn up due to the explosion, revealing his muscular body and a couple of burn marks – hitching as he heavily breathed into the clean air and looking around.

Meanwhile, Shoto was well away from him, lying on the ground on the other side of the stadium, his clothes also torn off and a large crack in the wall right behind him.

It took a moment for everybody to just process what the hell just happened, and finally Midnight raised her whip.

"Todoroki Shoto is out of bounds! Midoriya Izuku wins!"

For a few more seconds, the entire stadium remained dead quiet, until their minds finally registered Midnight's words.

Then, pandemonium started.

"**MIDORIYA FROM CLASS 1-A WINS THE FIRST PLACE IN THE SPORTS FESTIVAL!**" Present Mic yelled out as fireworks were shot up and rainbow confetti fell down throughout the entire stadium

"He did it!" Ochaco yelled out as she jumped out of her seat, cheering. Momo stood up as well, joining the intense clapping that had ensued Present Mic's declaration.

"That was so awesome... I've never seen anything like it!" Mina chirped as she jumped up and down in excitement.

"Our Deputy Rep is truly something else!" Denki stated.

"Of course he won," Katsuki said, scoffing. "Else, our fight would have been pointless."

Had one looked hard enough, they would have actually seen him smiling.

The reaction among Class 1-B was quite similar.

"That was very awesome, Izu-kun!" Itsuka yelled, applauding her crush.

"Way to go, Izuku-kun!" Setsuna grinned.

"That's what I was talking about!" Tetsutetsu said, flexing his muscles.

Even Neito was applauding the victory.

Those who had watched the fight from their homes also cheered up. From Shiketsu, Inasa cheered as the camera focused for a short time on Endeavor's annoyed face, while Camie resolved to get on the Internet to get pictures of half-naked Izuku.

And, up in the booth, Aizawa sighed.

"Good thing they turned out alright. I honestly didn't know who would come out on top. Nice job, Midoriya. You worked hard, and those who work hard achieve great things. You earned it, kid."

Izuku, meanwhile smiled as the confetti fell on his face.

'_I did it. I won!_'

He looked up to the stands and found Toshinori, standing next to his mother, making the most intense tear fountain of joy he had ever seen, drenching Mitsuki and Masaru as they hugged her.

"I told you I would win!" He shouted, flashing a thumbs up to his mentor.

Toshinori smirked in pride. His successor had made a vow to win, and he had kept his promise. Izuku had surpassed all expectations and won the big one. He would have loved to transform into his Hero form and jump straight to him so he could tell him how proud he was, but he restrained himself. Any actual congratulations outside the official medal awarding would have to wait until they were in private.

As the adrenaline from the fight abandoned him, Izuku started to feel really tired: after using Ultraman Beam at maximum output, he had been left completely exhausted. Fortunately, before he collapsed onto the floor, a soft pair of arms caught him.

"Don't worry, Midoriya, I got you. I can't imagine how tired you must be, after you went all out like that," Midnight said, holding him up, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks, Midnight-sensei. I really pushed my body to the limit, didn't I? Ultraman Beam really saps my stamina, but it was my best bet to beat Todoroki, he was just too damn strong!"

Quite a few females in the crowd shook with anger and jealousy: it was not fair that Midnight got to hold Izuku like that! After seeing him shirtless, they really wanted to feel him up.

Other people chose to comment on the fight. Some of them wondered the reasoning behind Izuku egging Shoto on to use his flames, but the consensus was clear: Izuku had wanted to show off his true potential, and had provoked Shoto to use all of his power to prove himself.

Meanwhile, the Pro Heroes were also making considerations regarding not only Izuku, but also Shoto and Bakugo, who had shown the greatest potential of the lot, as well as the rest of the freshman year students: it was clear that none of them would be lacking in internship offers.

Shoto groaned as he slowly came to, and pain shoot up his body. He was definitely covered in bruises, and considering the pain on the chest, there were probably a couple of broken ribs, but otherwise nothing too serious. He would be fine.

'_Damn, Midoriya is sure powerful... that really hurt,_' he thought, struggling to get back on his feet. Izuku saw this, and decided to act.

"Excuse me, Midnight-sensei," he said, and disengaging from the R-Rated Hero, he slowly walked up to Shoto and offered his hand.

"I..." Shoto said, looking at the hand and then the floor. "I lost."

"And?" Izuku asked, frowning. Shoto turned his attention back to Izuku, curiosity clear in his eyes. "Didn't you say you wanted to be a Hero, too? If you quit every time you lose at something, you won't become a great Hero. Look at me. You have no idea of how many times I got knocked down. But, guess what? I sucked it up and got right back to work, and look where I am now: I just won the Sports Festival! Do you remember what I said in the Pledge? It's not about how hard you get hit, but how hard you can take and keep moving forward. You may get knocked down... but, no matter what, you have to keep getting back up. That's how winning is done! You have so much potential and talent. Just imagine how much better you will get if, instead of thinking about quitting when you fall, you stand up again, do your best and surpass your limits! That's what a true hero does to improve each and every single day!"

Shoto took in everything Izuku had said. All of it... he realized he had been blinded by his hatred of his father and what he had done. Perhaps it was time to let go? Perhaps he could just choose to concentrate on becoming the best Hero that he could be, perfect his own craft, not worry about whether he was using Endeavor's power or not? After all, as Izuku had said, it was his Quirk, not his father's.

"So, will you take my hand? If you do it, you will gain true strength. You won't be bound to Endeavor anymore, but you will become your own person and do it all with your own power, the one you were blessed with. So, do you accept, Todoroki Shoto?" Izuku said, keeping his hand stretched. Shoto grabbed it with no hesitation.

"Yes, I accept. And, thank you, Midoriya..." Shoto said as Izuku pulled him back up to his feet.

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

Shoto smiled.

"Friends, huh?"

And, as he thought about it... perhaps Izuku was his first friend.

"Yeah, friends!" Izuku replied, smiling as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course."

Everybody applauded the two for their excellent sportsmanship and Midnight gushed over their youthfulness once more before approaching them, so they could be brought to the infirmary.

"**Now, that is the way to end the Sports Festival!**" Present Mic said, grinning.

* * *

A quick visit to Recovery Girl yielded the expected diagnosis – quickly healed by the Youthful Hero - and a new uniform to replace the one he had just lost, and Shoto was making his way back to his classmates when he found someone he should have honestly expected.

"'You're on my way.' Aren't you going to say that?" Endeavor asked, a fatherly smile on his smile, briefly looking at his shirt. "I hope you have learned the lesson about this. You need to control your left side... you're just letting it all out, and it's dangerous. Midoriya opened the door for you, and now you've abandoned your childish tantrum, but you'll need to train even harder to master the power. You can take today off, but as soon as you recover, I will personally train you on how to master your left side, and after you graduate you can come work in my agency. I will lead you down the path of the mighty!"

"I haven't abandoned anything," Shoto replied dully, causing Endeavor to blink. "After all that happened, it's not something that can be so easily reversed. Back then, during the fight... just for one moment... I forgot about you. And also..."

Shoto looked at his father, suspicion clear in his eyes.

"Why are you so happy? You do remember I lost, right? Shouldn't you be disappointed that your 'masterpiece' got second place?"

Endeavor raised an eyebrow and waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it, Shoto. To be honest... I didn't expect you to win today.

"What?" Shoto was shocked. "Why not? Don't you want me to surpass All Might?"

Endeavor sighed. He knew he would have to face this sooner or later, but it was still hard to do.

"There's much I need to say to you, but... I'm sorry for everything. The way I treated you and your siblings, what happened to your mother. I kept you all at a distance, and when you needed your father the most you just got... me. What a fool I've been," the Flame Hero whispered. What Midoriya and All Might had told him, he knew they were right. It gave him a lot to think about.

Meanwhile, Shoto thought his ears were playing tricks on him.

Endeavor, apologizing? To him? No way. Those things could not go together. He was wondering if his father had been replaced by a doppelganger.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked.

"I... had an epiphany," Endeavor confessed. "I had some... important conversations in these past hours, and while you were fighting Midoriya, I finally realized that I have been a horrible father. I was so hell bent on having either you or one of your siblings surpass All Might that I didn't even realize what I was doing until it was too late. All I did... I was so blinded by my own selfish ambitions that I lost sight of what was truly important. I... I am sorry. It is my fault that our family is so messed up, and I take full responsibility for that. From now on, I will do everything in my hand to be a real father and husband."

While Endeavor grimaced at how his actions had led him where he was, Shoto was shocked: it was the first time he had ever heard his father utter the word _sorry_. And not only that, but there was genuine emotion and regret behind his words. But, of course, he was suspicious: for all he knew, this was just another trick.

"How do I know that you are serious about this, and willing to atone for all the atrocities you have inflicted on us for so long," Shoto asked, and Endeavor winced.

"I... I don't care how long it will take me to earn your forgiveness, and that of your siblings, but I will. To begin with, I will call the hospital and request that your mother be discharged. If it goes the way I hope, she will be home tonight."

Shoto wondered what had happened to change Endeavor so drastically in such a short time. He was almost like an entirely new person.

"You don't seem to be lying, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Releasing Mom is a start, and I hope that you can go from there. But it is going to take a long time before I can start trusting you again, and seeing you as my father. So... don't miss the chance."

Endeavor smiled, and this time it was genuine.

"Thank you, Shoto.. thank you for giving me this second chance. It is going to be hard for us all, but I promise you that one day we will sit down and have a complete family meal together." He then nodded to the other end of the corridor. "Go, now. I'm sure your classmates will want to celebrate with you."

Shoto snorted before he continued walking down the corridor.

* * *

"I can't believe I tore through my shirt again! Soon enough they're going to run out!" Izuku muttered as he walked through the stadium's corridor. After getting another brand new P.E. shirt and the medical check-up, Recovery Girl had warned him that he had to learn how to control his power a little more, because if he kept on destroying his uniform he would have to go to all the physical activities' classes without a shirt. Izuku had blushed somewhat embarrassed and promised to be more careful from there on.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, he bumped into Toshinori.

"Hey! Just the man I was looking for! Nice job, kid! You won, and not only that, you did it with style! You still have a long road ahead of you, but, damn, it was a fantastic start!" Toshinori exclaimed, messing with Izuku's hair before giving him a high-five.

"Thank you, Toshinori-sensei," Izuku said, smiling. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help in the first place, you know."

"Here's a thing. When I saw you fighting with that sludge villain last year, I saw a lot of the old me in you. But now... you have gone beyond what I imagined, time and time again. There's something that only you can draw out, and I truly believe with all my heart that you were the perfect choice for passing One for All to. You've certainly earned it, kid. You deserved One for All, and you deserve to win first place. Don't ever doubt yourself, you know your worth!"

Izuku fought the urge to cry, as he gave a confident grin.

"Right! I'll work even harder now, so I can become the Number One when I graduate!"

"That's the spirit, my boy! Now, run along, you have an awards ceremony to get to, don't you?"

Izuku's eyes widened.

"Oh, crap, that's right! I'll talk with you in a bit!" he said, starting to run towards the ring, where the ceremony was about to take place.

Toshinori chuckled at his successor's antics.

'_That boy... he is really something else, huh? He's good now, and he's going to become great someday, I know it!_'

* * *

"It's been a long day, but finally the events for all the first-year students have been completed! We will begin now with the awards ceremony!" Midnight announced: as soon as she gave the signal, smoke erupted and a large podium with three platforms rose from the ground, while four students stood on them.

The third place podium was shared by Katsuki Bakugo and Itsuka Kendo. Those who knew the former were surprised at how calm he was: in fact, they had expected to see him tied up so he would not go on a rampage, but there he was, completely chill. As for Itsuka, she was happily waving at her classmates, who were elated that one of their own had managed to make it to the final four.

The second place podium was taken up by Shoto Todoroki, who was giving one rare smile of his own as he waited for the ceremony to happen. The fact that his mother was going to return home that night was one of the best news he had heard in a long time, and he could not wait to see her after so long.

And, finally, in the first place podium, was Izuku Midoriya, the winner. He still could not believe it: he was going to get the medal he had seen so many times in the TV back home, and now, instead of just watching from the screen, he was actually there... experiencing the joy of being rewarded for all his hard work. The only reason he was not crying tears of joy was that Toshinori had impressed upon him the need to have better control of his emotions, since he had to represent the absolute best that U.A. had to offer in regards to all the first year students.

"Hahaha, oh well, the brat may not have gotten first place, but it's still a start!" Mitsuki exclaimed, grinning while kicking her legs up.

"Very true, dear," Masaru replied with a smile. "By the way, Inko-chan, where did Yagi-san go?"

"Toshinori-san said he had an important call he needed to take," Inko replied while beaming at her son with pride, while his classmates applauded at the winners of the festival. Izuku smiled as he found Momo, Ochaco, and Mina but his gaze turned sad when he noticed who was missing.

_"Midoriya, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Ashido... this is sudden, but I must leave early. My older brother was attacked by a villain."_

_"Your brother?" Mina asked__, shocked._

_"Wait, you mean... Ingenium?" Izuku asked_

_"Yes."_

_"How is he doing?" Ochaco asked with worry._

_"Yes, is he going to be alright?" Momo added._

_"I... I don't know the details," Tenya replied, and it was obvious he was shaken. "My mother is picking me up so we can visit him at the hospital. He's the one I want to emulate in the future, and..."_

'_I am getting a bad feeling in the gut... something really bad is going to happen soon. Ingenium... for Tenya's sake... I hope you are alright,_' Izuku thought. His train of thought was interrupted when Midnight began to speak.

"Now, we will award the medals! The presentation will, of course, carried by-"

"**HAHA!**"

"Huh? Is that All Might?"

At the top of the stadium, in his Hero costume was no less than the Symbol of Peace, All Might!

"- Our very own Number One Hero, All Might!"

"**I have brought the medals here!**" All Might announced, landing besides Midnight, who looked at the man awkwardly.

"I talked over you... my bad," Midnight apologized as she clasped her hands in embarrassment.

"Man, this year's first years are so lucky," one of the spectator commented.

"Yeah, they've got the Number One Hero watching them!"

"Now then, All Might, please present the medals, starting with third place," Midnight said, holding the box so he could grab the medals. Picking up one of the bronze medals, he placed it around Katsuki's neck.

"**Young Bakugo, congratulations! You have the heart of a warrior! Your fiery spirit will surely help ignite the future generations of heroes to come. You are talented, and you have a bright future ahead of you. Keep on training, and you will be a great Hero, I promise you. Just, don't let your anger blind you, and find your inner peace.**"

"Thank you, All Might! Just watch! One day, I'm going to even surpass you!" Katsuki said as he accepted his medal, to which All Might responded with a hug.

"**Heh, I don't doubt that you will!**" the Symbol of Peace replied, before letting him go and grabbing the second bronze medal. "**Young Kendo, congratulations! You have shown everyone that the other classes also have great students that they ought to pay attention to! Now, continue to train, and show them that you are just as good as these three boys here!**"

Itsuka let All Might place the bronze medal over her neck and then hugged All Might.

"I will. Thank you, All Might!"

The Pro Hero smiled and picked the silver medal, placing it around Shoto's neck.

"**Young Todoroki, congratulations. That was an excellent tournament, and you showed you have a a great power. And may I say, I was glad to see you using your power to its potential. I assume there is a reason you didn't use your left side until the final match?**"

"I had an opportunity. There's something about Midoriya that just... forced me to push myself to the limit in order to try to win. I may have lost, but I still learned something important from our battle. I think I understand why you are interested in him. I want to become a Hero like you, but I didn't think it would be right for me to be the only one to break away. There's still something I must settle," Shoto replied, and All Might nodded.

"**I can see that. The look on your face... I am glad you gave a step in resolving your inner turmoil.**" All Might hugged him, and whispered, "**I won't ask for the details, but I am sure you will be able to do what you need to do.**"

"I will."

All Might then moved onto the final award, the golden medal.

"**Now, then, Young Midoriya! Excellent job on doing what you said during the Pledge! You made a vow to win, and you kept your promise! You completely surpassed all of our expectations and shocked everyone in every round of the Sports Festival. And, in your last two matches, you pushed Young Bakugo and Young Todoroki to the absolute limit! Your actions and words have inspired us all. Midoriya... accept this Gold Medal as a tribute to all your hard work and effort. You truly deserved this more than anyone else!**" All Might exclaimed as he placed the medal around Izuku's neck.

"Thank you, All Might! Those words really mean a lot to me. I will keep on training harder, and I will get stronger to achieve my dream of becoming the Greatest Hero in the World!"

All Might gave him a big, strong hug.

"**I can't tell you enough how proud I am of you,**" he whispered. "**You've become much stronger than even I anticipated. One day... my work will be done, and then you will take my place as the Symbol of Peace. Keep up with your training and studies, and always keep your ideals with you.**"

"I promise you, Toshinori-sensei," Izuku whispered back. All Might let him go and turned to face the rest of the first year students.

"**Well, they were the winners this time, but listen here! Any of you could have ended up on these podiums. I'ts just as you saw. Competing! Improving each other! And climbing even further! The next generation of Heroes is definitely sprouting! So, I have just one more thing to say! Everyone, please say it with me! Ready? Go beyond-**"

"PLUS ULTRA!"

"**-thank you for your hard work!**"

Absolute silence for a moment, before everyone turned to a now self-conscious All Might.

"It should have been 'Plus Ultra!' there, All Might!" someone in the public said, much to his chagrin.

"**Well, I thought all of them worked really hard, so...**"

There was an awkward moment of silence before the audience began to tease All Might for saying the wrong phrase by booing at him. All Might's attempts to defend himself went unheard, as the Sports Festival came to an end for the first years.

* * *

Omocha had a great smile on his face as he saw Izuku being awarded the gold medal.

"Congratulations, Midoriya-shonen. You deserved it. Now, I better send your reward to you," he said, picking up the phone and speaking with the responder, nodding quickly.

* * *

"Good work," Aizawa said, yawning, as the sun slowly set down on the horizon. "There will be no school tomorrow or the day after, since the festival is still running."

All of the students were back into their school uniforms, waiting to be dismissed. All of them were tired, some more than others, but they were excited for what was to happen after, though.

Aizawa, eager for some rest of his own, trudged forward.

"I'm sure the Pro Heroes who watched the Sports Festival will want to recruit you, but we'll consolidate all of the offers and announce them when you get back. So, rest well and look forward to that. You are going to need it."

They all nodded as Aizawa dismissed them... well, almost all. Izuku looked over to Tenya's seat, currently empty, and he sighed.

'_I hope he is alright, and that his brother will get better soon,_' he thought as he picked up his backpack. Soon, he was walking with Momo, Ochaco and Itsuka to the bus station, and Itsuka picked up on their missing classmate.

"What happened to Tenya-kun?" she asked, worried.

The others shared a glance and filled her in on what had happened.

"Oh, god," Itsuka gasped in worry. "I hope they will be OK."

"So do we," Izuku mumbled. They would have to wait for Tenya to call them about it, though.

* * *

"What do you think we should have for lunch today, Momo? Hmm..." Ochaco pondered as she and her friend returned home from the grocery store: when she had heard that Ochaco was living on her own in a small apartment, Momo had offered her to share the space in her penthouse. Ochaco had initially balked at the idea of taking advantage of her friend's generosity, but Momo had no problem with her paying for rent and played it as her missing having company, so she had accepted.

"I'm not sure, but I am feeling a little peckish," Momo replied. "How about something filling?"

"Just because you can get rid of any extra fat by using your Quirk doesn't mean the rest of us can," Ochaco pouted lightheartedly.

"Maybe. But, hey, talking about food certainly beats having to think about what happened at the store," Momo pointed out.

_Ochaco was looking at a pack of crab meat in the seafood aisle, choosing not to pick it up because of the price. Unfortunately, this distracted her from a patch of wet floor, where she slipped and fell to the ground._

_"Are you, like, okay?" a female voice said, and a hand appeared in her range of vision. Slightly disoriented, Ochaco accepted her hand and got back on her feet, seeing that the voice owner was a pretty, older girl who looked at her like trying to figure out where she had seen her before the light of recognition shone in them._

_"Oh, wait a second, like, you're that girl from the Sports Festival!"_

_"Y-Yeah, and who are you?" she asked, slightly stunned that someone had recognized her._

_"Oh, I'm Camie. Utsushimi Camie, from Shiketsu," the girl introduced herself, smiling._

_"Ochaco, have you-" Momo said, stopping when she saw Camie._

_"Oh, Momo-chan, this is Utsushimi Camie, she goes to Shiketsu," Ochaco presented her._

_"Shiketsu? That's one of Japan's best hero schools, alongside U.A."_

_"Yep! And, I was, like, watching the Festival, so I totally recognized you guys! I gotta say, you're lucky, you have that Midoriya boy, and he's, like, totes hot! I hope I get to, like, see him!"_

_Momo and Ochaco looked slightly stunned and a bit jealous at the older girl's words, which she did not notice before giving them her number, 'in case they, like, wanted to talk and stuff.'_

_"Anyways, it was great meeting you two. Hope to see you all in the future again. Bye!" Camie said, walking off and leaving behind two shocked girls._

_"Did... did our war just got a lot worse?" Ochaco asked._

_"Maybe?" Momo said, unsure. On one hand, the girl went to another school and year, so she was unlikely to be too much a part of the war. On the other side, she was quite attractive._

_"Well, she was quite nice and didn't seem to have ill intentions, so maybe she's not that bad," Ochaco suggested. They might have been worried about another rival for Izuku's affection, but they still kept the girl's number._

"We're home," Momo declared as she opened the penthouse's door. Upon opening, the two girls noticed something strange: four extra pairs of shoes in the front.

"Do we... have visitors?" Ochaco asked, surprised. For some reason, two pairs of the shoes were... strangely familiar to her.

"I can't imagine who," Momo replied, blinking as she checked the other shoes. "They must have been someone familiar, otherwise the butler wouldn't have let them in."

They heard the stomping of footsteps and the sound of bodies hitting the wall, approaching them, until...

"OCHACO!" two voices howled, coming from two figures that had suddenly appeared in the entrance hall, scaring the daylights out of the two girls before they grabbed Ochaco and hugged her.

"Mom! Dad!" Ochaco shouted in surprise, dropping back to her natural accent as she hugged them back. "Why are you guys here?"

"To see our daughter, of course," her mother replied with a smile. "We decided we wanted to give you a surprise, since you had a free day, so we can to celebrate with you and help throw you an after party."

"So, we spoke with Yaoyorozu-san, and here we are," Ochaco's father continued, smiling at the girls. "And we would also like to thank you for letting our daughter stay with you, Yaoyorozu-chan."

"Oh, it was nothing. I'm glad to have her here," Momo replied, putting her hand up in denial.

"What? What about work? Did you come on the bullet train? What? What?" Ochaco started, before tearing up. "At least warn me first!"

* * *

Opening his eyes, Izuku looked around himself before hunching up. All he could see was an empty void.

'_So, this is a dream again?_' he thought.

"Indeed. We finally meet again, Ninth Wielder," a female voice – the same from the previous dream – called out. Izuku turned around and saw the speaker was a tall, dark-haired, beautiful woman, with a slender yet voluptuous frame and sharp, intelligent eyes behind long eyelashes. He could even note the small mole below her lower lip.

"Greetings, Ninth Bearer. My name is Nana Shimura," she introduced herself, offering her hand. Izuku accepted it as he stood up.

"So, this is the new kid, huh?" a male voice called out. Izuku looked and saw it was a large, muscular man. Bald with a short beard, a square jaw, small, eyebrow-less eyes and with a wide build... he looked like something out of an American comic book. "My name is Daigoro Banjo, but I was also known as Lariat."

"Hold on..." Izuku trailed off, remembering the information Toshinori had shared about One for All at his office, so many weeks ago. "You... you are the previous bearers of One for All? The... the Seventh and the Fifth, right?"

The two nodded, smiling.

"Correct, Midoriya-kun. I bore the torch before Toshinori did, and Lariat did some time before me," the woman – Nana – explained.

"I see... so, why didn't you guys talk with me when I had the first dream?" Izuku asked.

"We wanted to see what kind of successor you are, and let's say you left a good impression on us," Daigoro said. "By the way, Blackwhip, the tendrils you shoot out of your arm, that was my Quirk."

"Really?" Izuku asked, shocked.

"Yup," the man nodded as he demonstrated. "It's a top grade Quirk, so you'd better keep training on it, got it?"

Izuku nodded. After seeing how useful it was, there was no way he was going to stop training with it.

"I should tell you one thing," Nana said. "One for All contains all the Quirks of everyone who has ever bore this torch, so be aware that sooner or later they will manifest."

"What's yours, then, Shimura-san?" Izuku asked, interested, but Nana shook her head.

"It is not time for you to learn it. You will have to find out for yourself when it finally manifests. That's all we can tell you, Ninth Bearer."

"I... I see."

The void started to turn to light.

"Looks like our time is up for now. We'll be seeing you soon, though. Keep trying to master One for All and do your best, you hear?" Daigoro said.

Izuku nodded again, and a white light enveloped everything surrounding him.

* * *

It was night, in some city, somewhere in Japan, and besides a vending machine was lying a man in pain, clutching his stomach, as a petite, fair-skinned girl approached him.

At first, one would have thought her to be like any normal girl: she wore a plain seifuku with a Kansai collar, paired with a red scarf loosely tied around her waist and an oversized beige cardigan. However, one actual look at her would have revealed something else.

"Happy now, you idiot?" the girl said before she kicked the downed man in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain before she took his wallet out of the pocket and picked up all the money from it. "Had you just given me the money when I asked, I wouldn't have had to do this the hard way. Just think of this as a lesson in manners."

Putting the money away, she brought out a phone, and as she looked through it she found pictures of underage girls – taken to see under their skirts.

"My, my, look what we have here," the girl said, showing her canine-like pointed teeth at the man while turning the phone so he could see the screen. "You really must be a perverted man who pretends to be a doctor to get these shots."

The man weakly tried to grab the phone, but the girl retracted it away, shaking her head.

"No, no, no, you perv. You're not getting off that easily."

"Please, just-"

The girl kicked him away.

"You thought I was an easy girl to prey on, huh? Lots of guys have made that fatal mistake, as well."

Behind the girl, there were five other men, lying on the ground, in as much pain as the one in front of her. The girl pulled out a knife from her pocket.

Had someone been nearby, they would have heard screams echoing in the night.

Several minutes later, the girl left the place, giggling as she trailed blood and her knife dripped red.

"Now you know... I'm no defenseless girl..."

The girl made her way to what had to be her hideout, a small apartment in the middle of nowhere, and she turned on the light to find a desk with a laptop and a pile of money, to which she added what she had just stolen from the man. She leaned over her desk, her head resting on her hand as she smirked before it dropped, looking up to see a board filled with thumbnails, newspapers and pictures related to a tragic plane crash that had happened a year before...

* * *

**Soundtrack: ****_Battle Theme 07_ from _MHA One's Justice_ when Izuku vs. Katsuki match starts. _Katsuki and Izuku_ when Izuku starts getting serious. _Event 22_ from _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4_ when Mitsuki and Masaru comfort Katsuki on his loss to Izuku. _Event 9_ from _Sonic Adventure 2_ when Endeavor thinks back on his sins with All Might lecturing him. _Battle Theme 01_ from _MHA One's Justice_ during the Itsuka vs. Shoto match. _Tournament Boss Battle_ from _Bakugan Battle Brawler the Game_ when Izuku vs. Shoto match starts. _You Say Run_ when Izuku and Shoto go all out, with the latter finally using his left fire. _Finishing Level_ from _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Duel Transer_ when All Might passes out the medals to the top four.**

* * *

**Me: And that's it, we are finally done and holy shit this is the longest chapter ever for this story. ****Looming ahead of us is... The Hero Killer arc, oh boy here we go. How do you feel about that, ****Milarqui?**

**Milarqui: ****OK, it's taken me, what, a week? To beta-read this entire chapter. Again, good story, but good heavens, it was hard work. Believe me, readers, there were times I was about to pull my hair out from some of the things I read. Seriously, you should study how tenses work in writing, man: mixing past and present tenses in the same _sentence_ is rare, yet there was no page of the original chapter where that didn't happen. Plus, removing superfluous text (such as streamlining descriptions or taking out details that don't fit) took out 5 pages out of 50!**

**Me: Gotcha man, I will.**

**The UA Big Three and Shiketsu students appear! Izuku confronts Endeavor! Izuku and Katsuki have a very emotional fight before Izuku wails on him! Mitsuki and Masaru checks up and talks with Katsuki! Shoto defeats Itsuka with some more effort! All Might gives Endeavor his honest opinion of him which changes his mindset! Izuku and Shoto go all out to each other in their Final match! Izuku emerged victorious in the First Year Sports Festival! Momo and Ochaco encounter Camie! Izuku meets the wielders of One for All in his dreams! A mysterious girl makes her debut!**

**-Izuku's Super Moves shown-**

*** Kikaider Bullets: An android hero created by Dr. Kohmyoji to stop DARK.**

*** Super Sentai Assault: ****The five hero group franchise on which _Power Rangers_ was based on.**

*** Metal Hero Edge: ****Space, military and police-based heroes who are typically either androids, cyborgs, or human beings who don "metallic" armored suits.**

*** Inazuman Whip: A mutant hero in the form of a ****young college student named Goro Watari.**

**I will take criticism to heart seriously, but NO FLAMES, RANTS, OR NEGATIVE COMMENTS! Also will not be accepting guest reviews and delete them, get an account people.**

**Thank you so much for reading everybody, ****I'm gonna take a break for now since this chapter drained me non-stop. ****We'll see you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	13. Hero Killer Pt1

**Me: Hello everybody, my name is Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! We are officially beginning the Hero Killer arc that many of you might be excited about!**

**Some more explanations on things, specifically about Inko and All Might. All Might trusts Inko enough to let Izuku reveal his real name to her, in addition to help training her son to be a great hero.**

**So Milarqui, things going alright with you? I've now reached to the 2,000 followers mark, thank you so much everybody!**

**Milarqui: You are welcome, mate! Coronavirus has really messed up with my life, what with not being able to leave home whenever, but hopefully soon we will get out of this terrible pandemic.**

**Another thing to add is that because Izuku is more confident and courageous here, his fights against other villains will be a lot more brutal, Milarqui here understands it as that graphic detailed defeat against Noumu was just the beginning since this story is rated M after all. In fact this whole story will have much more blood to shed than in canon.**

**Let's begin, shall we!**

**Chapter 12: Hero Killer Part 1**

* * *

"Earlier this afternoon, a plane on flight towards Okinawa from Tokyo exploded in mid-air, crashing near an open field in the Prefecture of Shizuoka shortly afterwards. Multiple ambulances from the nearest locations were immediately sent to the crash grounds with the expectations of searching for any potential survivors and assist in their evacuation towards the nearest hospital. Assisting them for their investigations was Number 2 Pro Hero, Endeavor, as well as several NPA officers who sought out the witnesses of the accident."

…

"I... I can't believe that plane exploded. Saw it with my own eyes, and I still can't believe it."

…

"How did this all happen?"

…

"Who would kill so many innocent people, children, because they were riding a plane?"

"I bet it was all because of a villain!"

…

"The first official report indicates no survivors have been found, and currently the authorities are trying to identify all the bodies so that they may be returned to their families as soon as possible. We shall update you when further information is released."

…

Himiko bit her thumb as she rewatched the only video of the explosion, taken by a lucky (or probably unlucky) civilian who had been doing whatever with their cellphone, only to witness the explosion – to the horrified gasps of said civilian and their companions. She then turned to her bulletin board on her right, putting both hands behind her head as she re-read, once more, a particular newspaper article that had been neatly cut so long ago.

According to the last report that had been made about the incident, no one had survived the fatal explosion, but two passengers had yet to be accounted for: while the remains of their luggage had been found within, their bodies were nowhere to be seen. The leading theory was that they could have been thrown off the plane and disintegrated in the explosion: no one had reported seeing anyone with the kind of injuries they would have suffered from the explosion.

Deciding she had watched enough, she turned off her computer and the lights, and got into her bed. Looking outside through the window, she gazed at the moon illuminating the night before turning to her side and closing her eyes.

* * *

The long weekend for the U.A. students was over, and Izuku was returning to the school under a rainy sky.

'_Man, this train is so crowded,_' he thought. '_And I could not do any training this morning._'

Knowing he was in for a long ride, he pulled out his cellphone to watch the latest Kamen Rider, but he got distracted from it by remembering his talk with his mother the morning after the Sports Festival ended.

He shook his head. He and his mother had that penchant for literally crying rivers, something he did his best to keep under control, but during the festival she had apparently gone way over her usual limits, crying out seven times, and if it had not been for the Bakugos, she would have probably completely dehydrated, and in fact she had almost fainted the last two times.

The surprise had come when Omocha-san had sent him a package, congratulating him for his victory in the Sports Festival and deciding to give him a reward even though he had turned down his offer. The gift was quite awesome, in his opinion, and probably something he could not have got on his own. He had sent a letter, thanking Omocha and his company for the present.

Shaking his head, he turned back to the show, until someone tapped his shoulder from the side. Pausing the video, he turned to see a man he did not know.

"Excuse me, but... Are you Midoriya, from Class 1-A?" the man said.

It was almost as if he had just detonated a bomb. Everyone in the train car turned to look at them, and then they noticed him. It was not that hard to recognize him: between his broccoli green hair, his backpack full of tokusatsu pin buttons, stickers and keychains and his U.A. school uniform, he truly stood out.

Soon, everyone was cheering on him, congratulating him for his victory.

"Good job at the Sports Festival! You got first place with style!"

"Number One in every round! Such dominance! He annihilated the competition!"

"You were so cool!"

"What kind of gym do you go to? And how did you get so shredded?"

"Tell me about it! This kid's in high school and he has a way better physique than I ever had!"

"Must be some kind of freak genetics!

"What was that with those tentacles? Were they a part of your Quirk?"

"He must have worked really hard to get as powerful as he is now!"

"ARE YOU SINGLE!"

He had to admit that, while being congratulated was quite nice, it soon started to get overwhelming. Everyone praising him for his competence and nobility, some mentioning how the Student Pledge struck at their heartstrings... all the men mentioning their envy for his body, which most of them could barely dream of having, while many teenage girls and even some young women flirted with him or even asked for his number.

Finally, though, his stop arrived. As he told everyone that he had to get off the train or else he would be late for school, the civilians groaned in disappointment, but they allowed him to move through and away, not without saying one last thing to him.

"Do your best, Hero!"

Izuku smiled as he waved them goodbye, the doors closing right before him.

"I will!"

Leaving the train station, he walked the short distance towards Japan's most famous hero school. On the way there, several people greeted him, clearly recognizing him from the event: he had no idea he would get this famous after winning the U.A. Sports Festival, but still he politely greeted them back and kept going.

'_Is this what All Might has to deal with everyday?_' he wondered, but his thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out.

"Izu-kun!"

Turning, he saw Ochaco, Momo, Mina, Itsuka, Yui and Setsuna crossing the street, waving at him from under their umbrellas.

"Hey, everyone!" he greeted back as they walked closer. "Has any of you seen Tenya-san?"

"No. Not since he left during the Festival," Ochaco replied, her worry obvious.

"I hope he is alright," Izuku said, sighing as they finally caught sight of the school.

"Good morning, everyone!"

Before any of them could react, Tenya had already ran past them...

"Did I just see Tenya-kun wearing a poncho and rain boots?" Momo asked, clearly incredulous.

"Yeah, you did," Itsuka added.

"Why are you walking so slowly? I've seen you move way faster during the Sports Festival!" Tenya said, slowing down while looking at them. "You're going to be late!"

"Late? There are still... five minutes until the first bell," Mina said.

"Too early," Yui agreed, yawning.

"U.A. students should always arrive ten minutes early!" Tenya finished as he sped off into the building.

"He's not wrong," Momo agreed, nodding. "Especially after our two days off. Who knows what will happen in class? Us class representatives might have to help out our classmates."

"Fair enough," Itsuka said, nodding. "C'mon, Setsuna-chan, Yui-chan, let's go!"

Izuku shook his head and sent some Help energy to the girls, allowing them to keep up with him as they all entered the building. Going to the lockers, they put away their wet clothes... but he still had an uneasy feeling: after hearing the news about the Hero Killer's attack on Ingenium, he wanted to make sure his friend would be alright.

"Tenya-san, umm..." he did not know how to broach the subject, but he knew he had to. "I heard what happened to Ingenium, and I wanted to talk with you ab-"

"There is no need to worry, Midoriya-san. I apologize for worrying you needlessly. Congratulations on winning first place, though! I saw the highlights on the Internet, and you truly outshone us all. Good work, and I hope I can get to your level some day!" Tenya said, walking off to class while the others finished shaking their umbrellas.

"Thanks..." Izuku muttered, unable to shake off his unease. Concerned as he was about his friend, he could not help but think that something was truly troubling Tenya. He just could not quite put his finger on it... yet.

* * *

As soon as they reached their respective classes, everyone was eagerly discussing the aftermath of the Festival, particularly the attention they had all attracted in the weekend.

"It's so different when they broadcast the matches on TV after all, huh? Lots of people recognized me on the way here!" Mina exclaimed.

"Yeah, me too!" Hanta stated.

"People were staring at me, too. It was kind of embarrassing!"

"Isn't that normal for you, Tooru-chan?" Mina asked.

"I had a bunch of elementary schoolers tell me 'Don't worry about it," Eijiro said, clearly annoyed by those four words he had heard every time someone brought up the fact that Todoroki had defeated him in a couple of seconds.

"Don't worry about it," Tsuyu replied, and Eijiro groaned, palming his face.

"Not you, too!"

Mina chuckled, reassuring her 'horn buddy' that they were just joking. Knowing what they did about Todoroki, it had not been much a surprise that he had managed to win so quickly.

"Just one day, and now we've been thrust into the spotlight, huh?" Denki said.

"Yeah, U.A.'s amazing."

As his friends kept talking to each other, Izuku had decided to adjust a few notes he had made to his Hero notebook, wanting to upgrade them with some of the data he had checked during the festival.

"Oy, Deku." Izuku turned to see Katsuki walking up to him. "I wanna talk to you."

"What?" Izuku asked, bemused. To this day, Katsuki had _never_ said that. If he wanted to say something, he said it. And the fact that he was shifting around on his feet, looking down to the floor, made Izuku actually feel uncomfortable.

"Look, I just... I... fucking damn it!" Katsuki said, gritting his teeth as he grabbed at his own hair.

"Look, if you don't want to say it now we can-"

"No, just shut the fuck up and listen! I... OK, that came out wrong." Mark another for weird. Katsuki saying that was truly against the norm. "That wasn't what I meant to say. I'm... I really am sorry for how horrible I treated you these past years..."

Izuku raised an eyebrow. Something was really going on. That was the third surprise in less than a minute.

"Why... are you doing this? Now?"

"The old hag took me to the shrink the other day, said I needed counseling. And... hell, she was right. Got a lot of time to think, after I heard you helped heal me. I was angry, I always wanted to blame you for everything that went wrong with me, and I threw the one person that saw me as a genuine friend away. I... just hope we can get that back. I made a mistake, and it took me a decade to realize it."

Surprising as the confession was, Izuku could tell that Katsuki was being genuine. Those two losses, first at the training battle and then at the festival, had truly left an impact on him.

"I wish I could, but... it's hard, you know? The support at the final match was nice, but that and one apology are not going to make up for ten years of you trying to torment me. Though, if you are really serious about this... I can give you a chance. You are going to have to work on it, show me that can change for the better, but if you do I will be able to forgive you. Is that good?"

Katsuki sighed, nodding, as he headed to his desk.

"Better than I thought it would be," he said. "Though, Deku... I saw Grape Hair at the shrink as well."

Izuku blinked.

"Wait, Mineta-san was there?"

"Yeah," Katsuki replied, shrugging and taking his seat. "Said he was cleaning up his behavior, 'cause he wanted to return here when he was ready."

Izuku was truly glad to hear his former classmate was truly trying to improve himself. He hoped to see the say that Mineta would rejoin the class some time soon.

Shoto watched everything from his seat, still going over what had happened in the weekend. Ever since Endeavor had apologized to him at the festival, everything had changed... so fast. His mother had come back home, and it had been uncomfortable in the beginning, until she cried and apologized for what she had done to him. He had forgiven her, and that had started it all.

Endeavor had apologized to everyone, swore to make amends for all the ugly things he had done. Fuyumi had forgiven him already, while Shoto and his mother chose to give the man a chance. The only one unwilling to forgive was Natsuo, something Shoto understood. It may not have been a perfect end, but it was still some progress... and he thought he really owed one to Izuku for giving Endeavor the push to recognize his mistakes and start working to fix them.

It was finally a few seconds before the bell rang out that the door opened to reveal their teacher coming in.

"Morning, students," he said.

"Good morning, Aizawa-sensei," the class replied, as the few that were not in their seats quickly took them.

"Only two seconds. Good," Aizawa stated.

"Aizawa-sensei, I'm glad you are better, ribbit," Tsuyu said, noticing that his bandages were finally gone. After seeing first hand everything he had suffered at the hands of the Nomu, she was happy that the injuries were finally gone.

"Thank you for your concern. Recovery Girl found a special treatment that allowed me to recover faster and easier," their teacher replied, and Izuku knew he was referring to how he had used Help to enhance Recovery Girl's Quirk. Aizawa scratched his face. "More importantly, though, we are having a joint informatics class with 1-B, so we'll meeting up in a larger classroom. Grab your bags, I want you all in class 1-S in five minutes."

The teacher waltzed out of the classroom, and the students only took two seconds to process the order before they quickly grabbed their backpacks and nearly ran up to class 1-S, a classroom meant to hold at least thrice the normal number of students. Meeting their 1-B counterparts, the group took their seats wherever they could.

"What do you think this is about?"

"D'you think this is goint to be a quiz?"

"Hope not, I'm not good at hero laws and that stuff..."

"Maybe one of us will lose a position in the Hero Course?"

"Don't joke like that!"

Finally, Aizawa and Vlad King arrived, and did not take long in revealing the goal of the class.

"Code names," Aizawa bluntly revealed. Everyone looked at the underground hero with wonder, before Vlad King clarified the meaning.

"You lot are going to come up with your hero names today."

"Awesome!"

"That's so cool!"

Before the students could get too excited about it, though, Aizawa activated his Quirk as he glared at the students. They all quickly calmed down under the intimidating stare of Eraserhead.

"Your first internships are coming, and this weekend we received the Pro Hero requests for you," Aizawa continued as he disengaged his Quirk. "The drafts usually begin in earnest during your second year, after students have gained enough experience to become immediate assets to the Pros."

"In other words," Vlad took the baton, "if a Pro extends an offer to any of you, it means that they're interested in your future potential. These offers are often cancelled if the interest dies down after graduation."

"Adults are so selfish," Denki mumbled as Tooru raised her hand.

"So, we'll have to prove ourselves once we get picked, right?"

"Correct. Do not fret if you are not picked right now, we have deals with multiple hero agencies that are willing to have those of you who do not get offers to intern with them. Here are the numbers for this year," Aizawa said, using a remote to turn on a projector. The offers were soon shown on the whiteboard, and the numbers that really stuck out were those of 1-A.

_Midoriya Izuku – 7,054_

_Todoroki Shoto – 4,262_

_Bakugo Katsuki – 3,775_

_Yaoyorozu Momo – 685_

_Uraraka Ochaco – 599_

_Iida Tenya – 404_

_Kaminari Denki__ – 389_

_Sero Hanta __– 356_

_Kirishima Eijirou__ – 195_

_Shinso Hitoshi – 25_

"Normally, the numbers are more spread out, but it seems that these three have caught everyone's eyes," Aizawa dryly remarked as he used a pointer to underline the three names on top.

Murmuring immediately broke out between the students, and the reactions differed. Hitoshi was happy that he had actually received offers even though he had been taken out early in his first fight, but others were not so much.

"7,054? WHAT THE HELL? Are there that many Pro Heroes in Japan?" Denki cried out in shock, surprised (like everyone else) at how Izuku had received almost half of the offers.

"Man, such a huge difference," Kosei mumbled, throwing his head back in frustration: he knew that withdrawing from the tournament would have consequences, and here they were. And now, comparing his offers to those of 1-A's top three, there was no contest.

"Those Pros don't know a good thing when they see one!" Yuga grumbled: his name not being in the list stung, but he supposed it may have been because he had finished in last place.

"Midoriya first, Todoroki second, Bakugo third..." Tetsutetsu observed.

"Same order as their placements at the Festival," Eijiro added.

"Well, of course the Pros would prefer Midoriya and Todoroki over Bakugo. Did you see how he acted out during the Festival?" Hanta pointed out, ticking the explosion boy off.

"IF I SCARED A PRO, THAT MEANS THEY'RE WEAK! Damn Deku got more because he proved he was better than me, but fuckin' Torodoki got more than me even though we never fought! Those damn Pros are biased, how can they say he's better when we've never fought one on one! If you don't fight me, you don't get to claim you're better than me! Only Deku has that right!" Katsuki yelled, while most of the others snickered or rolled their eyes.

"And once again, 1-A hogged the spotlight. Ugh," Neito muttered, even if he was still glad that he had received many offers.

* * *

In U.A.'s staff room, a few of the teachers had gathered around the table, as they went through the mail.

"Heh, the offers for the first years are still coming. Here's one more," Cementoss commented as he opened one of the envelopes.

"Who's it for?"

"Midoriya. That makes, what, 7,055?"

Toshinori felt intrigued. His successor had received more than seven thousand internship offers after his dominant performance in the Sports Festival: pretty much every Pro Hero in Japan had wanted Izuku to intern with them. And now he was curious over who else had thrown his hat into the ring, so he approached his co-worker.

"Really? Who is it..." he began to ask, but then he saw the name that came on the request and promptly felt like he was about to have a heart attack.

'_No! NOT **HIM**!_'

* * *

Momo and Ochaco sighed in relief while looking at the board: they had received more offers than they had expected, and they were thankful for all the support Izuku had given them. Itsuka, who had received nearly the same number of offers as Momo, smiled as well.

"You're amazing, Todoroki-san. You're just behind Izuku-kun!" Momo told her classmate, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Most of them are probably just because of my father. Midoriya's the one that deserves the praise, he got all those offers on his own merit."

He may still want to have a rematch, but he knew it was not time yet: he would need to train his flames and ice to a greater degree in order to be able to do that. He would have to improve if he wanted to catch up to his... well, friend was probably the best definition.

"See, Tenya-kun? We got offers!" Ochaco said, nudging her blue-haired friend's shoulder. The fact that she had received offers in the triple digits was truly encouraging for herself.

"Yes, yes," Tenya replied, distractedly. In the furor of the classroom, she did not notice. Meanwhile, Denki was doing also nudging Izuku.

"Hey, Midoriya-san! Everyone and their mother wants you to intern with them! After all you did, they must have been really impressed! And the way you did it, it was like you had no weaknesses!

"Hey, I'm honored about having so many opportunities. Perks of winning first place in the Sports Festival, I think."

"Remember, though, whether anyone asked for you or not, all of you will be participating in internships with Pros," Aizawa stated.

"You may have gained combat experience at the USJ, but it will still be meaningful training for you to see Pros at work, first hand," Vlad pointed out.

"So, that's why we are getting our Hero names now!" Tetsutetsu said, bumping his fists.

"This is starting to get fun!" Mina chirped.

"Take into account, those names are still temporary, but if you're not serious about it..."

"You will have hell to pay later!"

The sudden entrance of the R-Rated Heroine instantly perked up Denki, Hanta and Kosei, who could not help but sport pervert grins.

"Because a lot of Hero names used by students are recognized by society, and end up becoming professional names, whether you want it or not."

"Well, that's how it is. Midnight will be making sure your names are fine. I'm not good with that stuff," Aizawa said, bringing out his sleeping bag and getting inside. He had been stuck with Eraserhead because Present Mic had convinced him to put it down when they were in their first year, and he had been too lazy to come up with a better option.

"When you give yourselves a name, you get a more concrete image of what you want to be like in the future, and you get closer to it. That's what it means when people say 'Names and natures do often agree'. Like All Might, for example is," Midnight stated.

"Depending on what you do, you may be able to change your name, if you don't find good ideas at first," Vlad added. "For instance, I originally went with Blood Man, but in my third year I changed it to Vlad King. Nonetheless, I recommend you do take this lesson seriously."

Everyone got a portable whiteboard and markers, and a few minutes later Midnight called for attention.

"Alright, let's start presenting those who have already come up with ideas!"

"We're presenting _these_?"

"That's gonna take some nerve..."

The first to present his idea was Yuga, who confidently stood up before anyone could be called and walked up to the front.

"Here I go." Yuga breathed in. "Shining Hero: I Cannot Stop Twinkling! Which means you can't stop my sparkles!"

He proceeded to prove it true by starting to sparkle, while his classmates restricted their desire to palm their faces.

'_You are kidding me! A full sentence?_' most of them thought.

"Hmm... too long... though, if you take out the I and contract 'can not', then it could work," Midnight suggested, smiling. Yuga smiled back, and edited his name.

"Merci, mademoiselle," the half-French boy said, returning to his seat. Everyone else looked at him, wondering how Midnight's suggestion was actually acceptable.

"May I present mine next?" Ibara asked, and Midnight nodded. "The Gentle Heroine: Maria."

"Ooh, sounds like a nice name! It inspires peace and hope! Let's keep going!"

One by one, the students presented their ideas. Some of them, like Mina's Alien Queen or Togaru's Jack the Ripper, were shot down by Midnight for various reasons, from copyright infringement to sounding too violent, and in the end Mina picked Pinky, making her friends chuckle. Momo's Creati and Itsuka's Battle Fist were promptly accepted. Ochaco chose Uravity to make hers a pun combining her full name and her Quirk, something that got an OK and a smile from Midnight. Tsuyu's Froppy was instantly loved by everyone, and Hitoshi's pick, Hypno, got an interesting reaction from their teacher, who nonetheless approved the idea.

"Mmm, this is going more smoothly than I thought it would! All that's left is Togaru, Bakugo, Iida, Tsunotori, Todoroki... oh, and Midoriya!"

'_A name I want to be known for in the future, huh?_' Izuku had pondered, knowing the importance of picking a good name, since it would define his image for the rest of his life. While partially paying attention to the others, he had been considering ideas he had had in the past, and he was quite embarrassed at remembering how all the ideas he had had were pretty much some sort of homage to All Might, even straight out using that name and tacking something at the end.

He then had an idea about what his hero name could be. He stole a glance at Ochaco and smiled to himself as he wrote it down.

"Fine, I'll go!" Katsuki shouted, going up to the podium and revealing what he had written on his board.

_Explosion Hero: Ground Zero_

"I'm surprised it did not sound too violent," Neito commented, an opinion everyone else shared.

"It was this or King Explosion Murder, and I wanted something people would remember as I climb up to the top. Not that I give a fuck about what any of you guys says."

Midnight smirked.

"That's a way to avoid having to redo your name. Approved! And five more to go!"

"Can I show mine?" Shoto asked, walking up to the podium and revealing his choice.

_Ice-Hot Hero: Celsius_

"I _love_ it! With your dual Quirk, it makes sense to use a temperature scale as your name!"

"Yes. After I fought Midoriya, I realized I was making a mistake in holding back half of my power for what my father did. But, no more! I will accept who I am, and I will learn to master both fire and ice so that I can become the greatest hero I can be."

Izuku gave a thumbs up to his friend as he returned to his seat, and everyone felt their respect for their classmate grow. Midnight kept calling for suggestions: Pony ended up picking her first name as her hero name, and Togaru settled for Jack Mantis to refer to his physical form.

"Iida, Midoriya, have you made your choices?"

Tenya looked down on his board and began to write down some kanji, before he stopped, hesitating on the name that had come to his mind.

When he was allowed to visit his brother in the hospital, Tensei had confessed that his injuries were such that he would not be able to keep working as a hero. It had been heartbreaking for Tenya to see his brother like that: his brother was supposed to have a bright future, leading and teaching sidekicks to grow and inspire everyone... only for that future to be ruthlessly cut down by the Hero-Killer.

_"Will you take the name Ingenium for me... brother?"_ he had asked that day.

'_I'm sorry, Tensei... I... I... I can't... I'm not worthy of such a name... not yet!_' Tenya thought as he erased what he had written and wrote down his name, which he then showed to everyone. Midnight was disappointed by the name, but accepted it.

Izuku was not fooled by the smile Tenya put on: something was clawing inside of him, holding him back from what he could be. He resolved to keep an eye on his friend as the blue-haired speedster sat down again.

"Midoriya, are you ready?" Midnight asked.

"Yeah, I think I got one," he replied as he walked up to the front, taking a deep breath.

'_This is it._'

"All my life, I've admired heroes, both real and fictitious. I admired what they were supposed to represent. In my eyes, a Hero is a selfless, inspiring figure, and sacrifices themselves to do whatever it takes to protect those who are defenseless. A Hero does what he does because it's the right thing to do, and that's all you need! I want to become the Symbol of Peace, just like All Might – but I want to become something better. Someone that inspires everyone to go beyond! To inspire hope, to say 'you can do it'!"

Then, he turned the whiteboard around and revealed his Hero name.

_Toku Force Hero: Dekiru_

The majority of the students gasped. Katsuki nodded in approval and Ochaco and Itsuka smiled joyfully.

"Are you really okay with that?" Denki asked.

"I mean, are you sure you want to go with that?" Setsuna added.

"Yes. It's based on something I used to dislike... but then someone changed the meaning of it. It helped me gain a new perspective on it, and it certainly grew on me," Izuku explained, and Ochaco's smile became even more brilliant at hearing that. The other girls in the pact glanced at her at seeing she had just gained a lead on them, but they were not going to give up. They may have not been able to confess to him, but soon they would gain the courage to do so.

"Well, if you like it, then go for it!" Midnight cheered. "I had half-expected you to go for some name that was related to your energy Quirk, but your idea has an unique flair. Plus, with all those names you give to your moves, they certainly fit together."

Aizawa picked that moment to yawn and get out of his sleeping bag.

"Good, now that everyone's chosen their Hero names, we can go back to talking about the internships. They last for a week, and you'd better be up to the task of representing our school. Those of you who have received offers will be given your lists at the end of the class, while those who didn't will be able to choose from the forty agencies we have a deal with."

"Keep in mind, though, that each place offers different specialties, so think carefully before you choose. Thirteen focuses more on rescues from accidents and disasters, while Gunhead tends to go more for clamping down on crime," Vlad added.

"Yes, sir!" the students said in unison, right as the bell rang.

"You will be sharing this classroom for the day. Turn in your choices before the weekend," Aizawa said as the three teachers began to leave.

"What? We've only got two days?"

"Make your decision efficiently. You are dismissed." The door shut behind the teachers and the students were left flabbergasted.

* * *

With the arrival of lunchtime, the students were able to concentrate on trying to pick which hero they wanted to intern with, having fun discussing them while sitting in a classroom they had manage to commandeer for themselves. Izuku, Momo, Ochaco, Tsuyu, Mina, Eijiro and, surprisingly, Katsuki had been joined by Itsuka, Yui, Setsuna, Kinoko, Reiko, Tetsutetsu and Pony.

"So, has any of you managed to pick up where you want to go?" Mina asked.

"I don't know, I have too many offers," Izuku said, muttering as he quickly went through the stack of papers on his desk, listing every offer he had received. All the Top Ten, save for All Might, had sent offers, even Endeavor, which sparked his interest. Even Kamui Woods, Death Arms and Mt. Lady had sent offers.

"Wow... you are getting really overwhelmed," Ochaco said, feeling a bit of compassion for her friend-slash-crush.

"Yes, I couldn't even begin to imagine how I would decide if I had gotten such a large amount of offers like him," Momo said, and the group chuckled as Izuku drew himself into a panic trying to pick an option. The chuckles shook Izuku out of his mumbling phase.

"Oh, sorry, I was lost in thought..."

"We could tell, Midori-kun. You're really thinking carefully about this, right?" Mina asked.

"Yeah..." Izuku said, sighing.

"Tetsu and me are picking Fourth Kind!" Eijiro said, and he and his 1-B counterpart high-fived.

"I'm going to choose Gunhead!" Ochaco said with a cheer, surprising most of the others.

"Gunhead? He's a battle type and fights villains! You're going there, Ochaco?" Izuku asked.

"Yep, I got an offer from him!"

"I thought you wanted to be more like Thirteen?" Momo asked.

"Yes, but after fighting Bakugo at the Sports Festival, I realized that I need to become stronger, and Gunhead's martial arts style suits my Quirk. The more I know, the more possibilities I'll have. If I only did what I wanted, I'd have a narrower perspective!"

Katsuki snorted, but chose not to comment as he dug into his food.

"I am still deciding," Yui said.

"Same here," Kinoko and Reiko said simultaneously.

"Bleh, we still have plenty of time to think about this!" Setsuna said, grinning. "Tsuyu and me are going to do some research with Pony here, since she still has some problems with reading her choices."

"Thank you for helping me," Pony replied. Her speaking ability had grown by bounds and leaps, even if she still had a marked American accent.

"Of course, it's the least we could do," Tsuyu said.

"If you ever need some help with what hero does what, you can ask me, I have notes on most of them," Izuku offered.

"We might take you up on that offer," Setsuna answered.

"I was planning to pick Uwabami. She's fairly popular," Momo mused.

"I was thinking of choosing her, too!" Itsuka cheered.

"I... wouldn't recommend her. Unless you two want to be stuck in modeling and advertisement. If it is, then be my guest."

"Excuse me?" Momo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uwabami is a popular search-and-rescue hero, like Thirteen, but from what I've seen she prioritizes her modeling job over her hero work. If you intern with her, I wouldn't be surprised if you are stuck with helping her doing a commercial, and if she takes you out on patrol you might end up helping to organize the lines while her fans try to get a signature. No offense, but I think she only picked the two of you because you are pretty."

The girls blushed at the compliment before they shook their heads and checked their list, promptly crossing Uwabami's name from them and starting to check for other possibilities.

"Who are you going for?" Izuku asked Katsuki.

"I'm taking Best Jeanist," he answered. "Top hero in my list, and the old hag suggested I pick him if he offered. Learn from the best so I can be the best, and that shit."

"Not a bad idea," Izuku replied, resuming his check of his list. By the time lunch was over, he had already scratched several names off the list, but nowhere close to an actual choice.

* * *

As the setting sun gave the school classrooms an orange glow, the heroes-in-training were preparing to leave for their homes. However, just as Izuku finished packing his things, he was interrupted by the door opening.

"**I AM HERE! In a bizarre position!**" All Might said, grabbing onto the doorframe to avoid falling to the floor.

"All Might? What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?" Izuku asked his mentor.

"**I was hoping to find you before you left, young Midoriya! Come with me for a moment!**"

Izuku told the girls to just leave without him, to which they all pouted but nodded in agreement. All Might took Izuku to an empty classroom, where he pulled an envelope out of a pocket.

"**Getting straight to the point... we received another internship offer for you.**"

"Huh? What? Really? Who is it?"

"**It's...**"

That was when Izuku noticed something.

All Might was _shaking_. And given the expression in his face, it seemed like he was _shaking in fear_.

"**He... his name is G-Gran Torino.**" All Might actually shuddered. "**He-he was my homeroom t-teacher for one year. He also trained me p-personally. A-and... he knows about One for All. That's p-probably why h-he asked for you.**"

"Wow! Your sensei wants to train m- wait a minute, he also knows about your secret?" Izuku asked. He had believed only he and Principal Nezu knew about One for All.

"**Y-yes. He was my mentor's sworn friend, but he r-retired a long time ago, so I forgot to count him as one of those in the k-know.**" His shaking somehow got worse as he started muttering. "**Was it because I wrote of you when I sent him that letter? Or because he just couldn't stand and watch my inadequate teaching? If he went so far as to use his old name to make an offer... it's scary... too scary... stop trembling, legs!**"

Izuku began to seriously worry. Who was this Gran Torino, and what had he done that it left the Number One Hero trembling like a leaf at the mere thought of his name?

"Just... how scary is your old teacher?" he asked. All Might just handed him a slip of paper.

"**If you pick him... here's his address. What will you do?**"

"Well, the list had a lot of really good offers, but if he's really your old master, then what fool would I be to pass the opportunity to train under him? He might be the best option to help me master One for All, so yes, I might take him up!"

"**Great! Just one thing I gotta warn you about.**"

"What is it?"

"**DON'T MAKE HIM MAD!**"

Izuku jumped away from the shock before nodding at his mentor, who gave him a thumbs up as he finally stopped shaking.

"**Good! It's getting late now, so you should head on for home!**"

"Very well. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Izuku left the campus, noting that the girls had followed his suggestion and not waited up for him, but before he could leave the campus grounds, a female voice called out to him.

"There you are!"

Behind him, a girl with long, light blue hair was floating towards him, followed by two guys. When they stopped next to him, they were barely winded.

"Uh... who are you three?" Izuku asked.

"I'm Nejire Hado!" the girl said.

"I'm Mirio Togata, this is Tamaki Amajiki, and you must be Izuku Midoriya, the winner of the First Year Sports Festival!" the blond boy said, while the other boy – Tamaki – waved at him. "We saw the Festival, and really wanted to meet you, since you did really well there!"

"Everyone else was doing great as well, not just me," Izuku replied, smiling.

"Oh, don't be so humble, you cute little green bean," Nejire said. Izuku fought the blush as he tried not to look too hard at her. "You showed everyone with that Quirk of yours that you were the most powerful one!"

"Thanks..."

"Anyway, the reason I wanted to meet you... would you be interested in sparring with me?" Mirio asked, smiling.

"Sure, I'd love to... but I really need to get back home now. Maybe when I come back from my internship? I'll have more than enough time to spar, if you want," Izuku replied, putting out a hand. Mirio smiled and shook it.

"That's a deal, then! But you'd better be ready, I won't make it easy!"

As soon as Mirio released him, he was instantly grabbed from behind by Nejire, who pressed him against her.

"You are so soft and cuddly, my cute kouhai!" she said, smiling, and Izuku's previous blush returned with a vengeance, much to Mirio's amusement.

"A-all right, I need to leave or I'll lose my train, sorry, bye!" he said, almost running away from the older girl, waving at the trio as he crossed the gates.

"I can't wait for that spar with him. He will give me quite a fight, I'm sure!" Mirio said, grinning, as soon as Izuku was out of sight. Tamaki looked at him and sighed.

"Don't be like that, Tamaki-kun! It might be another exciting fight, like the ones we saw!" Nejire told her friend, while internally considering her wish to know more about the cute cinnamon roll she had held in her arms for a moment.

* * *

Late into the night, as that kind of things usually were, a rougher part of the district saw its un-normal tranquility shattered when four men with skull masks ran through a dark alleyway, one of them carrying a briefcase they had just stolen from a casino.

"Here, take this!" the thug with the briefcase said, handing it to one of the others before he jumped behind the driving wheel.

"Let's roll, man! Step on it!"

"Right!"

The car started up, and the driver put on first gear before stepping on the pedal.

"Hey, there they are!" Three men in suits, quite probably the casino security, run out of the alley, but it was too late, as the car was already on the move.

"SUCKERS!" one of the robbers yelled out from the windows, flipping them off as they rolled into the night.

As they moved into another alley to avoid the sight of the cops, something fell on the ground right in front of them. The driver did not have enough time to react before four explosions rocked the car.

_BANG!BANG! BANG!BANG!_

The car began to swerve, forcing the driver to slow down.

"What the fuck just happened?"

"Fuckin' tires got destroyed!" the driver yelled as he finally stopped the car.

"Who the hell could've done that?"

Trying to look around for the guilty party, one of the thieves noticed someone coming up to their car from the back and pointed them out to the others.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Someone from the casino security?"

"No matter, it's just one guy. We take him out and we can get out of here by foot."

The hooded figure stopped as the four masked men came out of the car and began to fire their guns at him. The figure stood unfazed as the bullets flew around them before they put one arm forward and pointed at the thieves: a sudden light flashed from inside the sleeve, and blue colored fire shot out from it.

The four thieves were consumed by the flames almost instantly, barely giving them time to scream in pain, and in the end all that was left behind were four charred corpses and a smoking car... but, surprisingly, the briefcase the thieves had taken was intact.

The hooded figure walked over and picked up the case, opening it to reveal it was full of money. Closing it, he left the place, carrying the briefcase with himself. He looked up to see one camera that had caught the entire event, and he snorted, before leaving the camera's field of view, just as sirens began to approach.

* * *

The next morning, Kenji Tsuragamae, Chief of Police of the Musutafu Ward, met with Detective Tsukauchi to discuss the events of the previous night.

"What do you think of this, Naomasa?" Tsuragamae asked as the video footage looped back to the beginning for the fourth time.

"Another murder, just as brutal as the others... but this time it's different. These men had just robbed a casino, and the suspect burned them all alive along with their car before taking what had been stolen. I believe this might be a different killer."

"Why do these things keep popping up every night?" the Chief rhetorically asked, snorting. "Now, what does the casino have to say about the robbery?"

"Nothing, so far. In fact, if it were not for the call by a concerned citizen and this video, we might not have known anything was stolen at all. For some reason, the casino hasn't filed a police report, so there's no way to know how much was taken beyond some suppositions, based on that briefcase's measurements."

"Do you think this could be the Hero Killer?"

"No way, it doesn't fit his modus operandi. Stain only goes after heroes, these were a bunch of thieves that had just robbed a casino. The story is all over the net as 'Latest murder, greedy vigilante or score settling?'."

"These are such sad state of affairs. First the USJ incident, then the pedophile murderer, a few days ago the Hero Killer, and now this."

"Don't worry, sir," Tsukauchi said, clapping his superior's shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of this, sooner or later."

* * *

The week had started once more, and with it came the new change for the heroes in training, who had met at the train station for the beginning of their internships.

"I hope you have all remembered your costumes, and that you cannot wear them in public unless the Hero you're interning with gives you the OK. Don't drop them or anything."

"Yessir!" Mina shouted in an excited tone, as she lifted her case above her head.

"Speak clearly, Ashido! It's 'yes, sir'."

"Yes, sir..." Mina said, pouting and mentally calling her teacher a spoilsport while Eijiro patted her on her back.

"Make sure you mind your manners with your heroes, and make sure they are left with a good impression of you. Off with you, now."

"Yes, sir!" the class replied, and slowly they scattered, not without wishing luck to each other. Izuku waved at them all, only to move before Tenya could leave.

"Hey, Tenya-san, wait up!"

The speedster turned to see his friends quickly walking up to him, and he gave them a soft smile, or at least as soft as he was able to.

"Look, Tenya-san, I don't even know what's going through your mind... but, please, if you ever need to talk, for whatever reason, remember that you can call us." The girls nodded in agreement, and Izuku put his hands on Tenya's shoulders. "We're friends, right?"

"Right," Tenya replied, making to leave, but Izuku held firm.

"I'm serious, Tenya. Don't shut us out."

"I'm fine," Tenya said, and Izuku knew again he was lying. The injuries Ingenium had suffered had been a big shock for Tenya, and he could easily feel his friend's distress... but now they had to go their separate ways, and there was nothing he could directly do. "It's time for us to depart. I'll text you when I arrive."

Tenya gently shook off Izuku's hands and walked away from them, almost running to catch up to his train.

"Tenya-kun," Ochaco whispered, worried, while Momo and Mina patted her on the back.

"_Attention, the train leaving for Coruscanu Ward will be departing soon!_"

"Oh, that's mine, I need to go!" Momo said, panicking. "I'll see you all in a week!"

"See you!" Ochaco replied, hugging Izuku before moving to board her train, something Mina did as well. Izuku watched the girls leave and sent Itsuka a quick text to wish her luck on her internship before boarding his train.

* * *

When the train finally reached the right stop, Izuku got off and began to walk towards the address All Might had given him.

'_Gran Torino... what kind of hero he is, that even All Might is scared of him? Never heard of him, but he's probably a cool guy!_'

When he arrived to the address, though it was most definitely something unexpected: a building that looked like it was close to be condemned. Izuku checked the address again and then the map in his mobile phone.

"Why would All Might's old Sensei live in a dump like this? Maybe he gave me a wrong address? Well, might as well check it out."

He knocked on the door, but as he hit the wood it parted before him, showing that the door had been open – and the lights were off.

"Sorry for the intrusion! I am Izuku Midoriya, from U.A. Height! Does Gran Torino live her-"

His sentence remained unfinished, because the moment he looked down, it was to see a small old man wearing yellow spandex and a cape... lying motionless on the ground in a pool of what he assumed was blood.

Izuku gaped down in horror before leaning to check on the man. Perhaps he was still-

"I am alive!" the old man shouted, lifting his head.

Izuku sighed in relief: he did not want his first day as an intern to begin with him finding a dead body on the ground.

"Man, when I was carrying a string of sausages with ketchup, I tripped over something and fell!" the old man said, dusting himself off before turning on the lights. "That'll teach me to go around without looking where I step."

_'Seriously? You had me worried there, and all you can think about is 'mind your step'?'_

"Umm, excuse me, but, are you Gran Torino, by any chance?"

"Yes... that's my hero name. Who are you?"

"I'm Izuku Midoriya, from U.A. I'm here to intern with you!"

"What?" the old man dumbly asked, as he put his hand beside his ear.

"I'm Izuku Midoriya!" he said, louder.

"Who are you?"

Izuku felt the irresistible need to palm his face.

'_This is All Might's teacher? Either he's truly lost his marbles or he's messing with me._'

"I wanna eat something!" the older Hero said, sitting on the floor.

"You are joking, right? At least, you should wash up the ketchup."

"Toshinori?" the old man asked, perking up as if he had just remembered something.

Izuku looked at the man, not sure of what was going on.

"Sorry, but I am not Toshinori-sensei. Also, I'm not sure of why you're acting like this, but... seriously, drop it."

Gran Torino's expression changed as he immediately stood up again, brushing off his hero costume.

"What gave me up?" the hero asked.

"You were trying too hard. Plus, you were coherent enough to write an internship request, no way you could be this senile."

"Good. Now, fire off a One for All smash at me," Gran Torino said, his tone clearly serious. "I wanna know how well you can handle it, see if my theory is true."

'_Are you serious?_' Izuku thought as he saw the hero rummage through Izuku's luggage before throwing his hero costume at him.

"This is a good costume. Wear it and fire!"

"Uh, are you sure?"

"Who are you?" Gran Torino asked, once again putting up his 'senile' face.

"Ugh, what's the point!" Izuku yelled out, frustrated with the older hero's antics. "Listen, I don't have time to waste. I need to hurry and master my power as quickly as possible so that I can handle it at 100%, because All Might is running out of time. That's why I can't waste time messing around with you, sir. Please, excuse me."

Before he could leave, Gran Torino took a deep breath and jumped up to the ceiling, only to bounce all over the room so fast that Izuku could barely keep up with him until he landed right on top of him.

"In that case, there's even more reason to fire one off, you zygote! I watched the U.A. Sports Festival, and you were smart and proficient when using your power, but I saw things that told me that you could potentially break the limit if you keep using your two Quirks together repeatedly. But that limit's like a stone wall you need to pass but can't quite bring it out. Toshinori may be the Number One Hero, but he's worse than a novice when it comes to teaching!" Gran Torino stepped away, allowing Izuku to stand up again. "Now, shall we begin, you zygote?"

'_Yeah, he was All Might's teacher. Only place where All Might could have learned that phrase,_' Izuku thought. Whatever his previous tricks, he was sure that Gran Torino was still the real deal.

"I can't stand watching you waste your potential, so I'll teach you. Now, hurry up, put on your costume and fight me!"

Izuku quickly followed the old hero's orders, noting the several modifications Mei had made to it, and when he was done, he got into a martial art stance.

"I look forward to working with you!"

* * *

**~Omake~**

"My hero name will be..."

'_Deku? Dekiru?_' Ochaco, Momo, Mina, and Itsuka thought.

"DECADE! The Destroyer of the World!"

Everyone face faulted at this reveal of Izuku's hero name.

"What kind of hero name is that?" Katsuki asked.

"Onore Dikeido!" Neito yelled.

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Morning from Tokyo_ from _Shin Godzilla_ when Izuku is on his way to UA through a train. _Continuing Universe_ from _River City Melee_ when the students were discussing about their intern offers. _Seiji Hokuto_ from _ULTRAMAN_ when the casino robbery happens along with the appearance of a mysterious figure. **

* * *

**Me: And cut... What do you think so far, Milarqui?**

**Milarqui: ****Much shorter than the previous episode, which is a relief. Also, we're starting to get into darker territory, and hopefully Izuku will be able to further buck canon in this arc.**

**Also Milarqui, I am still going to do side-pairings as I don't want Izuku being the only guy to get love. The confirmed guys getting their own love girl is Eijiro and Tenya. I know there are some users out there that won't like it and know someone *cough*, but it's my story and I get to do what I want with it.**

**Milarqui: ****Pity that we won't have Kirishima/Ashido, they are cute and awesome together. Well, let's see where you take this story into!**

**Izuku gets a lot of recognition! Tenya continues to act strange! 1A and 1B create their hero names! Izuku takes up Gran Torino's offer! Izuku meets the Big Three! Another mysterious figure with a murder! Izuku and company part ways! Izuku meets Gran Torino! Izuku and Gran Torino train! First ever Omake!**

**NO Flames, Rants, or Negative Comments! Guest reviews will be denied and deleted.**

**Thank you so much for reading everybody. We'll see you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


	14. Hero Killer Pt2

**Me: Hello everybody, my name is Tokusatsu Universe and welcome back to Toku no Hero Academia! We are on to part two of the Hero Killer!**

**Milarqui, I got a new laptop because my old one was old and slow, so that was why it took me this long to finally type the new chapter! How's everything going with you?**

**Milarqui: ****Same old, same old. Stuck at home because of COVID, finally got a job, which is treat but it cuts back on the time I have to do anything else.**

**Let's begin, shall we!**

**Chapter 13: Hero Killer Part 2**

* * *

Stain looked around, taking careful note of his surroundings and exit while keeping an eye on the two men that had 'invited' him to have a talk. These two – the one with the hands all over his body and the humanlike black smoke cloud behind the counter – were clearly villains of some sort, but he supposed they might be useful in his crusade.

"I see... so, you're the ones who attacked U.A.," he mused. "And you want to add me to your numbers."

"Yeah. Come on, you'll get so much more experience as a villain," the younger one – Tomura, he recalled – pleaded, but clearly he did not actually believe in what he was asking. He could even pick up a heavy hint of sarcasm behind the monotone.

"What are you after?"

"For now? I just want to kill All Might. I want to break everything I don't like. Damn kids like those... everything. Especially the energy brat," Tomura growled, holding a photo of someone Stain recognized as the boy who had won the Sports Festival. But that was secondary to what he had just said.

"I see. I was foolish to think you would be useful. You're the type of person I hate the most." Both villains looked at him in confusion. "You are having a childish tantrum, and you want me to go along with it? What meaning is there to killing without conviction?"

Kurogiri gazed at his charge and their 'guest' in worry. Bringing Stain here had been something of a spur decision, expecting it would help Tomura grow. But, given how the situation was going, he could not help but be concerned. However, All For One did not seem to share his preoccupations, and told him to let the situation continue.

"Well, I am looking forward to what you can teach me," Izuku said, grinning.

"Good, good," Gran Torino replied, pulling out a stopwatch from his pocked. "We'll start with... three minutes. Let's see if you can try to get a hit on me in that time frame!"

"Alright!"

"Good, now get ready, because I'm going to be harder on you than I did with Toshinori! I'm not holding back!" The elder man took a deep breath, and suddenly he disappeared from Izuku's sight. Almost immediately he could hear something bouncing off the walls around him.

"I'm already losing my patience!" Gran Torino shouted, jumping to attempt to kick Izuku from behind: he did manage to jump away and avert the attack just in time, but before he could try to retaliate, Gran Torino was already gone. Izuku kept looking around, trying to pinpoint Gran Torino's location.

'_He is moving even faster than Iida! I'm going to have to watch out!_' he thought, remaining vigilant as Gran Torino kept bouncing around the room at almost supersonic speeds. Eventually, though, he managed to find the old man's trajectory. '_Got you!_'

The retired Pro Hero suddenly went in to kick Izuku in the face, but he managed to quickly form a barrier between the two of them, negating the attack and forcing Gran Torino away.

"You are reacting quicker than before, kid!" he said, still jumping from wall to wall, side to side, even hitting the chandelier as he went fast enough to create small sonic booms. "Not many can make a claim like that. You might just be cut out to become the next Symbol of Peace!"

The refrigerator shook as Gran Torino jumped on it before going for another strike. This time, though, he was not met with empty air courtesy of another dodge, but with a counter in the form of an energy ball thrown at him. Gran Torino managed to twist in the air and got out of the way in time, leaving the destructive energy ball to strike part of the wall.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nice job, but still not enough! Do you think you have what it takes to keep up with me at my absolute best?" Gran Torino asked, while Izuku stood there at the display of the old veteran Hero's power. '_This kid is on a level I've never seen in anyone his age!_'

Izuku smirked.

"Yes. And I'll show you."

"What?"

Izuku closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, starting to glow green.

"**Superpower for All – Full Mask**!"

The energy that had accumulated around him exploded, and suddenly he was covered in an aura of emerald lighting while streams of energy flowed from his eyes to cover his face, and Gran Torino felt his jaw threatening to drop at the display.

"I came up with this trick after the Sports Festival. Lets me combine Superpower and One for All temporarily!" Izuku informed him, grinning, and Gran Torino replied with a grin of his own.

"Oh, interesting. Perfect! It will be much easier to train you, now that you actually have a grasp on both of your Quirks! Now, let's finish this!" Gran Torino shouted as he began to use his Quirk again, jetting across the room several times in an attempt to goad Izuku into attacking... but the boy stood there, unmoving, clearly waiting for him to act.

Gran Torino decided it was time to go full speed, and he pushed to one hundred percent power, now going beyond supersonic speeds, as the furniture began to shake from the gusts of wind he created as he passed by. Much to Gran Torino's surprise, Izuku was able to dodge or block all of his attacks without even looking and, apparently, with no effort.

Suddenly, Izuku sped up towards him and tried to sweep him away with a roundhouse kick, but Gran Torino was able to narrowly dodge the attack by jumping away from him.

'_What the hell, I barely saw him move! Not even Nana and Toshinori combined could go this fast at his age! I better watch out, kid could take down an average Pro... easily!_'

Deciding to put some distance between the two of them, Gran Torino chose to jump up to the ceiling. Izuku looked up at him, and the elder Hero shook his head, chuckling.

"Even with your fancy moves, you still can't land a hit on me!"

"We'll see about that! **Metal Hero Edge**!" Energy began to swirl around his green hand, turning into a large buzzsaw ring that Izuku threw at Gran Torino. He predictably dodged it, causing even more damage to his home – he would have to see about hiring someone to fix the old damned thing – but when the saw struck it turned into energy particles that latched around him, forming energy rings.

'_Clever boy. You used this trick against the Iida boy during the Sports Festival, and I didn't see it coming!_' Gran Torino thought, now immobilized in the air as Izuku charged at him, his legs surrounded by lightning.

"**MOTHRA SMASH**!" he roared, kicking Gran Torino right in the face and sending him flying against the wall with a loud _thud_. He then walked over to the downed Hero, who picked up his stopwatch and pressed the button with one hand while he held the side of his face with the other.

"33 seconds... in your Full Mask. Good job," he groaned in pain, as Izuku deactivated his Full Mask and panted for air.

"That... was... awesome," he said between deep breaths, smiling and looking at his hands.

"You really are something else, kid. You managed to dodge everything I threw at you, caught me off guard with your ring attack, and you managed to make it through with analysis and prediction. You actually put your brains to use in the fight, that was something Toshinori had to learn and grow into, but you already have that down pat. Just one day here, and you made me take dodging you seriously with a move you came up with a couple of days ago. The way you are going, you might become a monster like in those old movies you like so much." He kept rubbing the pain on his cheek away, and decided it was time for a break. "OK, kid, since you've got such a firm grasp on your Quirks, let's have some grub! Go boil up some noodles and chop..."

That was when he realized that there were packs of cheap noodles – his entire stock of noodles, he realized – strewn around the floor, and charred from Izuku's energy attacks.

"NOO! They are all burned!"

"I'll go buy more!" Izuku said, running out of the house to find a supermarket, leaving him to deal with the burned food. '_Man, I've still got a long way to go... but I can see the light. I am definitely going to master Full Mask!_'

* * *

"You want to add me to your numbers? You will never accomplish anything without conviction and desire, boy! Those without it, and those who are weak, will be weeded out," Stain said, staring Tomura Shigaraki straight into the eyes. "That is why it always turns out like this."

In a burst of speed, Stain unsheathed his swords and pinned Tomura against the wall by stabbing his shoulders before either him or Kurogiri – who suddenly grabbed his left sleeve – could react: the Hero Killer's speed was on a whole other level. Tomura did not even have the time to blink before Stain toppled him.

"Oww... that's too hard. Kurogiri, send this guy back," Tomura grunted, realizing too late that he may have made a mistake in trying to recruit the ruthless swordsman.

"I-I can't move my body... it must be his Quirk..." Kurogiri struggled to say as dark blood seeped down from his left sleeve: not only had Stain stabbed Shigaraki, he had also landed a sharp blow on Kurogiri just as he attacked.

"This society is overgrown with fake heroes, the world itself has lost its true meaning, and the criminals who wave their power around idly should all be purged!" Stain exclaimed, digging his sword further into Tomura's shoulder, until the hand-covered villain grabbed one of them with his hand.

"Heh, wait a second... not this palm..."

Stain was surprised when the sword Tomura had just touched crumbled away into dust.

"You sure talk a lot. Conviction? I don't have anything grand like that," Tomura said, getting rid of the sword stabbing his older shoulder and reaching out to Stain, who jumped back and unsheathed a knife, clearly knowing that he probably should not let him touch him. "If I had to say... yeah, it'd be killing All Might. I feel like I really want to completely crush this society, where trash like that gets worshipped!

"And my last injuries were about to finally get healed... we don't have a healer in our party, you know. Will you take responsibility for this?" Tomura said, scratching the back of his neck as he glared at the Hero Killer.

"So, that's who you are..." Stain replied, looking back in disgust.

"Huh?"

"We might agree on one thing, destroy the present, but our goals completely oppose each other's," Stain said, somehow finding common ground with the villain.

"Stop messing around. Go home and die. I'm the kind of person you hate the most, right?"

"I was testing your true motives. People show their true colors when they are on the verge of death. It's different with you, but there's a warped sprout of conviction living inside you. How will you bud? It might not be too late to wait until after I've seen that to dispose of you..." Stain replied, outstretching his arms.

"You are gonna dispose of me?" Tomura questioned in a mocking tone.

"He's moving," Kurogiri warned.

"Kurogiri, I don't want someone as crazy as this guy to be a party member."

"Tomura Shigaraki, he will be a great asset if he joins us. The negotiations could still be successful-" Kurogiri said, trying to reason with Tomura, but Stain interrupted him.

"My business here is done. Now, return me to Hosu City. There are things I must attend to there," he stated, licking his lips with a bloodthirsty grin.

* * *

On the third internship day, Izuku and Gran Torino enjoyed a lunch made of two different packs of Korean noodles of the same company along with diced up expensive steak, Izuku had managed to buy on a discount after he saved a woman from falling down the stairs: the woman turned out to be the butcher's wife, and he rewarded him with the meat.

After their lunch, they took to spar again. This time, Izuku was weaving around Gran Torino's attacks while using another move he had come up, Superpower Limiter Release: right now, it lasted just three minutes and left him exhausted, but in exchange during those three minutes it pushed all of his physical skills to the maximum, and at least it was less straining than Full Mask. Gran Torino instructed him to push it until he reached the limit, so he could get used to it and so it would become second nature to him, perhaps even pushing the limit up. He was making good progress on it, as his control got better each time and took less of an effort to start it.

The sparring ended as Gran Torino's right leg struck Izuku's left fist with a mighty clash, forcing the two to separate before the elder raised a hand, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Let's stop for now. You aren't going to benefit much more from fighting me."

"I'm not trying to think about how you fight," Izuku replied, deactivating his move and breathing for air. "Right now, I'm just trying to get the hang of Limiter Release. We can keep fighting!"

"Not right now, you need something else. Let's move on to phase 2! Grab your costume!"

"What?"

"We're going to fight some Villains!" Gran Torino exclaimed, raising his wooden cane. Izuku quickly began to put on his gear.

"Really?

"Kid, if you only fight against me, you'll be getting too used to my style and then you'll be in trouble when you have to fight someone else, and this is supposed to be about teaching you how to be a Hero, so, yes, we're fighting Villains!"

"Not that I am complaining, but don't you think I need more time to prepare myself? I only just managed to come up with these new abilities, and I'd rather master them so I could use them more efficiently against Villains," Izuku said, concerned, as the two left the building.

"You've already experienced combat against Villains, right? We aren't going to touch anything as big as that mess from last month, and way I see it you are more than capable of handling the small fry. It may actually be a little too easy for you," Gran Torino replied, waving a taxi cab that was passing nearby. "We'll go on a little excursion. Not many people living here, so crime rate is probably among the lowest in Japan. That's why Hero Agencies establish themselves in urban areas, because the more people around, the more trouble you'll find. Shibuya's got enough small fights on a daily basis that you could easily handle."

"Shibuya? As in Shibuya, Tokyo? I didn't think I'd be wearing my Hero Costume when I first went there," Izuku said, smiling at the idea of going to Tokyo's most fashionable ward.

"You wouldn't get to wear it if you weren't with a Hero, so be happy that you'll get to display it on such a wonderful stage!"

"So... we'll be taking the bullet train to Shinjuku, right?"

"That's right."

'_We will pass through Hosu City soon... I wonder how Tenya-san is doing. I should get in touch with him later._'

* * *

Shoto sighed as he finished with his lunch. It was sad to say that the soba served in his father's agency's kitchen was mediocre at best, certainly nothing compared to his mother's cooking.

The changes his father had undergone had not meant he kept from being wary, but still he had to acknowledge that Endeavor was probably the best Pro when it came down to teach him how to handle fire: his reaction time, speed and experience in using it were above any others that controlled fire. As he put his plate in the dishwasher, the door slammed open.

"Shoto, pack up, and put on your costume. We're heading to Hosu City," Endeavor announced in a booming voice.

"Any reason why we're heading there?"

"Because, according to my research, Stain is there, and we should be able to find him. I will show you how a top Hero performs in the field."

* * *

Stain was standing on the edge of a rooftop, watching the city spread under his feet, as he heard the sound of the purple vortex opening behind him.

"This place looks nicer than I expected," Tomura said as he came out through the portal. "So, what are you gonna do?"

"I will reform this city. In order to do so, I require more victims," Stain replied, not even looking at the villain.

"Is this what you meant the other day, when you said you had business to take care of?" Kurogiri asked.

"I see you're someone who understands."

"Hey, what are you trying to say about me?" Tomura asked in an offended tone, but Stain chose to ignore him, outstretching his hands as he took in the view of the city.

"'Hero'... it is a title that should only be given to those who have accomplished great deeds! But there are too many... too many who claim to be heroes, but are really money-worshippers. Until this world realizes its mistake, I will continue to act."

With that said, the Hero Killer jumped from the rooftop and fell into the city: he was determined that his crusade to purge the corruption from society would continue, no matter what.

"He talks all high and mighty like that... but basically he's trying to start a grassroots movement, huh? He's so noble I could cry," Tomura said, sarcastically.

"You shouldn't make too much fun of him. Every time he appears, crime rate falls dramatically. Some critics attribute it to a rise in Heroes' consciousness and shoot him down, though," Kurogiri replied, knowing that Stain might have a point about what he did.

"How wonderful! Heroes working hard to bring down the cost of food, huh? So, the 'Hero Killer' is also a 'Hero Breeder'!" Tomura exclaimed as he laughed. "How many Nomu do we have?"

"Seven," Kurogiri replied. "The good doctor has been investing more time in producing them, ever since he heard a single child managed to defeat it. None of them are like the one we used the last time, though."

"Well, this time it will be enough." The hand-covered villain grinned as he pointed out in the distance. "It's too roundabout, we will never agree on a basic level. He's also annoying. Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus."

Another purple vortex appeared, and seven monsters, similar to the one that had ended up killed at the USJ, came through, only they were smaller and gray in color.

"You think you can get away with stabbing me, Hero Killer? If I want to kill you, I just will. That's all. It will be a wild contest. I will crush your honor and pride."

* * *

"This train won't arrive to our destination until the evening. Is that okay?" Izuku asked from his seat on the train.

"You better believe it! There will be a lot more fighting at that hour, so it will be more fun!" Gran Torino replied, while Izuku just felt the sweat dropping down his back.

"Doesn't sound like that much fun, but I guess I understand," he said, pulling out his phone to check on his messages.

"Kids these days, using their smartphones when there's other people next to him!" Gran Torino grumbled.

Izuku paid no mind to Gran Torino's comment: he was more worried about his friend. He had sent him a message mentioning he would be passing by Hosu City, and asking him how he was.

'_He read the message, but didn't reply. Tenya usually responds within three minutes of reading a message,_' Izuku thought, looking out of the window: it seemed like Hosu Station was nearby, and he wished he could get off to find Tenya.

Suddenly, a flash of fire went off in the background.

"Look at that! That building just exploded!" one of the other passengers shouted.

"What? Where?"

"What's going on?" Gran Torino asked, standing from his seat.

"Could it be a fire?" Izuku asked, although he feared the worst.

"Passengers, please take your seats," the operator said, but his petition was interrupted when a crash shook the train and the wagon suddenly got a large opening where there should be none. Everybody yelled in panic, and the cause of the hole was revealed to be a Pro Hero, who was trying to stand up in spite of the multiple bleeding injuries he was suffering.

"What's with that-" Izuku asked, but before he could finish, something else entered the train and slammed the Pro against the floor with a violent boom, allowing the passengers to see it... something only Izuku out of everyone present could recognize, for he had already seen one like it a month before.

"NOMU!" he shouted, getting ready to fight the monster, but Gran Torino got in front of him.

"Kid, sit down!" he told him before running straight at the monster, kicking it out of the wagon with a powerful kick – and straight into a nearby building. Izuku, however, would not stay back.

"Sensei!" he yelled as he started to follow his mentor through the opening, just as something exploded on the other side of the city. '_What is going on here?_'

Had he been closer to a certain building in central Hosu City, he would have seen a hand-covered villain laughing in amusement as several Nomu caused havoc and chaos all over the city, and civilians ran for their lives from what was becoming a war zone as Pro Heroes faced the monsters that had come from nowhere.

As the attendant tried to calm the passengers down, Izuku knelt besides the injured Pro Hero and infused him with Help, quickly healing his worst injuries, to the amazement of all witnesses.

"Alright, I'm getting out! Be careful!" Izuku said as he jumped out of the train.

"Wait, kid, it's dangerous!" the attendant tried to say, but it was too late.

"Wait, wasn't that Midoriya?" a passenger asked.

Izuku ran as fast as he could through the rails as the sun began to set, and as he did his brain was going a mile a minute.

'_It was clearly different from the one at USJ, but how many are there with their brains spilling out like that. Was it the Nomu's brother? And why here?_' Recalling the monster that had attacked him and his class, he realized what it was. '_Of course! Shigaraki and Kurogiri! They probably have some kind of lab where they are making them, and Kurogiri brought them here with his Warp Quirk! Damnit, I do not have any time to take detours, I'll have to go full ahead with what I know..._'

"**Superpower for All: Full Mask**!" he said, and soon he was covered with the emerald aura, pushing himself further as he jumped out of the rails and into the streets, running towards the biggest hotspot.

Elsewhere, civilians were trying to run away in fear of one of the Nomus, only for Gran Torino to arrive and kick the monster away.

"It's been too long since I had to fight this hard, but damn, I've missed it! And I've gotten mixed up in something crazy, but don't think I will let you do whatever you want!" he shouted, attacking the Nomu as he bounced around it. The Nomu screeched as it went to attack Gran Torino.

"_Shuwatch!_"

But suddenly a figure jumped between monster and Hero, punching the Nomu straight on the dome and knocking it away. As the Nomu was sent rolling to the ground, Gran Torino looked to the one that had helped him, only to meet great confusion as he saw it was a human-sized figure of the old TV action hero, Ultraman.

"URRGH!" the Nomu grunted as it stood up and tried to retaliate for the attack, but Ultraman was faster than it and kicked it on the chest, sending it to the ground again. Finally, he walked over and grabbed it by the neck, snapping it and throwing it away. The monster finally defeated, Ultraman put his fists on his hips before turning into light and shrinking down into... an action figure.

Gran Torino, who thought he had already seen everything, could not help but reassess that belief all of a sudden.

"Excuse me?"

Gran Torino turned to see a middle-aged man in a business suit, as he walked up to the action figure, picked it up and put it inside his coat.

'_Who was that man?_' Gran Torino wondered before he turned to finish off the Nomu, but before he did a stream of fire struck the monster, turning it into ashes.

"I was looking for the Hero Killer, but it appears that these monsters have chosen to pick a bad moment to attack," Endeavor announced as he walked in on the scene. "I know not who the two of you are, but kindly leave the rest to me."

* * *

Running through Hosu City's streets while doing his best to avoid the running crowd, Izuku turned a corner to see several heroes fighting against three Nomus with little luck, as the vehicles around them kept exploding from the attacks and counterattacks both sides were carrying out.

"Manual, quick, put out the fires!" a Hero with bull horns ordered as he ripped a fire hydrant and threw it at the nearest of the monsters.

"Not sure if I should be glad Iida went off on his own or not," Manual muttered as he quickly took control of the water to put out the fires and distract the monsters.

'_Iida? Tenya! I have to find him!_' Izuku thought, getting interrupted when the bull-headed Hero's charge against a Nomu was halted as another tried to attack him.

"What the hell are these monsters made of?" he grunted, trying to push it away before he was tossed against a building. The Nomu screeched and turned towards Izuku, pouncing on him, but Izuku quickly infused One for All into his left arm.

"**Gyaos Smash!**" he shouted, and the punch sent the Nomu flying into the air hard enough to be launched into a building that was at least a block away. He quickly turned to Manual, who was still struggling with containing the fire. "Did Iida Tenya intern with you?"

"Yeah, he is interning at my agency, but I lost sight of him shortly before those things began to attack. Don't even know why he came here, after what happened to his brother," he gritted, shifting the water to another fire.

'_Oh, crap! The Hero Killer is here! I should have realized it earlier that Tenya would to go take revenge on him! I have to find him NOW!_'

Izuku took off, regrettably leaving the Heroes to deal with the other two Nomus so he could save his friend from the murderer.

* * *

"So noisy... those idiots have come out, then? I will dispose of them later. Right now... I will do what I should be doing," Stain muttered as he turned his gaze to the Pro Hero Native, whom he had reduced to a bloody mess. The Pro Hero had tried to engage the Hero Killer in battle, but he had been outclassed and paralyzed by Stain's Quirk.

"My body... won't move... you bastard..." Native struggled to say, as the pain from his injuries and being paralyzed kept him from speaking well.

"You should consider your last words with more care, you false hero. Today, you will die," Stain sentenced, drawing his sword to deal the fatal blow.

Before he could do it, the sword was struck from behind, as metal met metal and the weapon was almost sent flying away from the Hero Killer's grip.

The former Vigilante turned to see who had just dared attack him, only to see a boy wearing armor, glaring at him from behind a pair of glasses. The looks, as well as the mutation of his legs, made him suspect he may be related to the one he had been merciful with and left paralyzed instead of killing him.

"A child wearing a suit... who are you?" Stain questioned, as the boy's glare intensified. "Go away. This is no place for children."

"A scarf red as blood, blades all over your body... you must be Stain, the Hero Killer! I've been chasing you the day, but I did not think I would find you so soon! I am..."

Stain interrupted him by pointing him with a sword.

"Your eyes... are you here for vengeance? Beware of what you say. Even children may become my targets if they are not careful."

"Listen, criminal scum!" the boy shouted, balling his fists in rage. "I am the younger brother of a Hero you attacked! Of a most excellent older brother whose career was finished by you! I have come to stop you! Ingenium! Remember that, because it's the name of the Hero who will defeat you!"

"I see. Die."

"Like I would!" The young Ingenium activated his Engine Quirk and swung a kick at Stain, full of pent up rage and aggression, but Stain swiftly and easily dodged the kick, letting the boy fly by.

"Ingenium. You're brothers, huh? I let him live... so he could spread my message." Stain proceeded to rush as the boy's failed attack left him on the ground and used his shoe spikes to step on him, pinning him to the ground. "You're weak."

He coldly stabbed him on the shoulder with the sword, and the boy let out a scream of pain.

"You and your brother are weak. Because you're fakes," he continued, matter of factly.

"Shut up, Villain! Because of you, he's paralyzed from the waist down! He can't work as a Hero anymore! Tensei is the best Hero I've ever met! He saved many people... led so many... until now... he was a hero... there was no reason for you to crush him..." the boy started to cry, tears leaking out of his eyes, although Stain could not bring himself to care for what a fake like this boy might feel. "He's my Hero... he was the Hero that gave me a dream! I won't forgive you... I'll kill you!"

"Save him first," Stain lectured, pointing at Native, still paralyzed on the wall. The boy was clearly wondering why Native could not move in spite of only having a cut on the shoulder. "Reflect on yourself and save others. Don't use your powers for yourself. Being taken in by the hatred and trying to fulfill your own selfish desires... that is the furthest from what a hero should be."

* * *

Tenya could not help but glare at Stain. A villain, especially _this_ villain, giving him lectures on how to be a hero? It was infuriating and humiliating to be receiving such a lesson. Still... his words rang true. He should have just called for help when he found Stain. Find a Pro Hero that could probably do more. He could have even used his Recipro Burst to go in, grab Native and escape. But, instead... he chose to fight for vengeance.

"And that is why you must die!" Stain said, licking the blood off the sword he had stabbed him. Immediately, Tenya felt a painful jolt go through his body, and he found himself unable to move a muscle.

'_This feeling... it's almost like Shinso-san's Quirk! I still have control of my mind and my mouth, but everything else is paralyzed!_'

Stain flipped his blade again, and raised it high up above his head.

"Goodbye. You're an offering to a more just world, just like your brother."

"Shut up!"

_"I know I'll become an amazing Hero, because I cannot let my little brother down."_

"I don't care what you say about me, BUT YOU ARE STILL THE CRIMINAL WHO HURT MY BROTHER!"

Stain did not seem to pay attention to him as he prepared to stab down, but before he did the deed he stopped, as if he had heard-

"SMASH!"

Suddenly, Stain was sent flying away from him as something hit his head, the sword clanging as it was ripped from his hand and fell to the floor. Tenya gasped as he realized how close he had come to dying, as a figure landed in front of him.

"Get away from him!" the new arrival shouted. For a second, just a mad second, he thought that his brother had somehow managed to come to his rescue, but a blink allowed him to see the green costume of his saviour.

"Mi... Midoriya?"

"You're a hard man to find, Tenya," Izuku – who seemed to be cloaked in an aura made of emerald energy and lightning – replied.

Stain came back to his feet, coughing up blood as he looked in shock at the person that had managed to do what none had managed since his encounter with Knuckle Duster several years before, back when he was still Stendhal.

'_This boy... he's the one from Shigaraki's picture. The one that did all those things in the Sports Festival. Looks like I've attracted his attention,_' he thought.

"Midoriya, why are you here?" Tenya asked.

"I realized something. When they talked about the Hero Killer's victims on TV, they mentioned that 60% of them were found in places with few people nearby. I found Manual, so you clearly were somewhere nearby, and even then it was a mess to try to find this alley. At least I managed to find you just in the nick of time! Tenya-san, can you move?" Izuku asked, keeping his eyes on Stain while he fished out his phone with the other hand and started to touch the screen.

"No... I can't...move my body. He cut me, and I couldn't... I think it's his Quirk," Tenya said, struggling to move even though it was obvious he could not.

"So, cutting is how he activates his Quirk, then? One for the TV commenters, I guess," Izuku replied as he looked over to Native, confirming that he had been injured as well.

"Don't get involved, Midoriya! This has nothing to do with you!" Tenya yelled, drawing Izuku's surprise at the amount of anger in his voice and face before he turned back to Stain.

"Your friend came to save you, and yet you act so ungratefully towards him? But it matters not. I have a duty to kill you. If we clash, of course, the weaker will be culled," Stain said, turning his gaze at Izuku. "Now, what will you do?"

'_He's different from the Villains at USJ,_' Izuku thought, glaring as he finished his little backup plan. '_He's not only a killer... he's got conviction in his ideas._'

"The Pros are busy dealing with the Nomus, and my backup hasn't arrived yet, so it is my duty to protect those who cannot defend themselves. Stall for time by myself. Even subdue the Hero Killer, if I must."

"What are you talking about? If what you say is true... then Heroes won't be able to do anything!"

"Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a Hero! I will put my life on the line and protect you all with everything I have! Because it's the right thing to do, and that's all the reason I need!" Izuku yelled defiantly while balling his fists.

Stain felt the surprise at the younger boy's words, a smirk forming on his face. For a second, he could have sworn a ghostly image of All Might had just formed behind the green haired boy.

'_He's stepping into a fight where he knows that losing equates to death, yet he is not backing down. He's not shaking or fleeing from feeling my bloodlust, but instead he faces it head-on... just to save these two fakes. I never thought I would find someone that could become a true hero in this corrupt system... but only if the rot doesn't get to him first._'

The Hero Killer and Izuku took their stances, glaring at each other as they prepared for the fight. Knowing that he was going to need to hold on, he released Full Mask and activated Superpower Limiter Release, which would not be as taxing on his stamina as Full Mask, and it still gave him enough power to deal with him. Izuku is glowing emerald aura and emerald streams of energy flow from his eyes.

Much to Stain's surprise, Izuku's hands began to glow with greater intensity, prompting him to unsheath his other sword.

"No! If you get cut-" Tenya yelled.

"I know!" Izuku shouted back. '_I need to do this quickly! If I land enough damage, I should be able to finally stop him!_'

Without warning, Izuku shot a stream of energy from the palm of his left hand, but Stain easily dodged the attack while he closed in on Izuku.

'_I must put an end to the fakes before these 'reinforcements' arrive,_' Stain thought as he slashed at Izuku, attempting to draw blood he could use to paralyze him. However, his blade did not meet flesh, but a green sword that had not been in Izuku's hands a second before. '_What?_'

Izuku's reactions being what they were, he had managed to turn the energy in his right hand into a sword that was more than capable of holding Stain. With a sudden push, he was able to force the murderer away, but Stain quickly retaliated by attacking with his other sword: Izuku only managed to avoid it by jumping over the Hero Killer, taking advantage of the move to swing his own sword, tracing an arced blade beam in the air.

Dodging in the last second, Stain tried to turn in order to stab at Izuku, only to meet a blast of energy hitting him in the stomach and blinding him, leaving him unable to see as Izuku shook his right hand to wipe the smoke. It did not take long for Stain to recover his sight, though, but by the time he did, Izuku was nowhere in sight.

'_What? Where did he-_' he wondered, before seeing the shadows moving, prompting him to look up. '_No..._'

"**5% MOTHRA SMASH!**"

Stain tried to jump away, but Izuku was faster and managed to hit him in the head, sending the Hero Killer tumbling down.

'_How is he able to control that much power? He's not even breathing hard after that!_' Tenya thought, realizing that his friend had become even stronger than he remembered.

'_OK, I got a good hit in, but it wasn't enough! I have to win this!_' Izuku thought as Stain coughed up even more blood, struggling for a few moments to stand up again.

"That was... strong, boy. But not powerful enough," Stain said. "You managed to keep me distracted long enough to leave my field of vision, and you managed to injure me hard enough to make me bleed. People who are all talk spread like mushrooms in the dark... but you are worth letting live. Unlike them."

Internally, Stain could not help but applaud the Pro Hero-in training's tactics. He had successfully combined long ranged attacks and close quarter combat to strike him several times, all while leaving him unable to properly counter him. But it would not be enough to stop him.

Izuku charged up another energy attack, this time his Ultraman Beam, but when he was about to fire he realized that the injured Native would be hit if Stain dodged again, and he doubted. The second of doubt caused him to drop his guard, allowing Stain to suddenly appear behind Izuku, his sword raised and ready to deal what could be a critical strike.

Izuku counted his lucky stars when he heard the crackling of ice falling down towards Stain. The Hero Killer, unfortunately, also heard it, and managed to jump towards the wall moments before a sudden burst of ice fell right where he had been. And then he was forced to kick off the wall to avoid the fireball coming at him.

"One after another.. too many people are getting on my way today," he muttered as he saw another boy, this one with red and white hair and a red scar covering one of his eyes.

"It's about time!" Izuku said, smiling at the new arrival. "What took you so long?"

"Midoriya... your text was kind of sudden. I needed to decipher what you had just written. I also had to deal with my father, and you know how he can be. Next time, kindly give more details before requesting my aid. Not that I would deny it, of course," Shoto stated as his left side ignited with orange flames while the right was covered in ice crystals.

* * *

**Soundtrack: _Battle Theme 03_ from _MHA One's Justice_ when Gran Torino trains and spars with Izuku until _ULTRAMAN_ from _ULTRAMAN_ when Izuku unleashes his ultimate move. _Victory_ from _Ultraman 1966_ when the animated Ultraman action figure attacks the Nomu.**

* * *

**Me: And cut... So Milarqui, your thoughts? Another short chapter with a little revision, but the next will be longer, I promise.**

**Milarqui: ****OK, Izuku vs Gran Torino was quite cool, and the appearance of someone I had thought would just be a secondary character was interesting. Stain clearly deviated from the original, who immediately turned on Shigaraki the moment he mentioned killing All Might (or at least that's what I believe happened). ****My thoughts on Izuku vs Stain is that this second version is much better than the original one (seriously, Izuku not using his long range attacks was a bit dumb)**

**Also it's shown that Omocha has a quirk and it is called 'Toy Animation' which let's him animate toys to life and allows him to give out a command, the toy will have the character's abilities. The drawback is that he can only animate toys and sometimes the toy will disobey and have a mind of it's own.**

**Milarqui: ****Interesting. It would be curious to see what he could do if he brought out Mazinger Z or Godzilla.**

**Izuku trains with Gran Torino and unlocks a few new tricks with Superpower and One for All! Stain meets with the League of Villains! Tenya still has the Hero Killer in his mind! Gran Torino takes Izuku out for real experience! Stain leaves while Tomura unleashes the Nomus! Omocha appears! Tenya confronts Stain! Izuku saves Tenya and fights Stain! Shoto's Big Damn Hero Moment!**

**-Izuku's Super Move shown-**

*** Superpower for All: Full Mask: Superpower and One for All combined ****while renaming Full Cowl based on Toku masked heroes.**

*** Superpower - Limiter Release: Based on the Limiter Release ability from the ULTRAMAN manga and anime.**

*** Mothra Smash: A giant moth who starred in her own film in 1961.**

*** Gyaos Smash: A ****vampire bat-like kaiju who is Gamera's famous foe.**

**I don't want to hear any Flames, Rants, or Negative Comments, especially on anything that you don't like! Honestly I can't please everyone****, but I'm fine with criticism, I know the difference****! Guest reviews will be denied and deleted.**

**P.S. If any of you can understand the reference I put involving the food and other things in it, I will give you a shout out in the next chapter.**

**Thank you so much for reading everybody. We'll see you in the next chapter, buh bye!**


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